Some by virtue fall
by TheLittle MissVixen
Summary: Elena Gilbert, mafia princess madly in love with her brother's friend meets Damon Salvatore, ruthless mobster with a thirst for power. The result is nothing less than chaotic…for he will not give up and she will not surrender.
1. The prince of darkness

Hello there,

Told you it wouldn't be long until I posted my new story, after TVD it seems I'm not able to let this couple go so my muse has been in overdrive. I must admit I'm really nervous about this one because it's very different to everything I've written so far. So here's a big disclaimer, DAMON IS DARK IN THIS ONE, HE'S A CRIMINAL, HE'S NOT A GOOD PERSON AND HE WON'T CHANGE HIS WAYS IN SPITE OF LOVING ELENA. He's also a bit obsessive and he's going to take some questionable decisions so if this is not for you please just stop right now.

I want to thank Amber (LivetoreadLovetoread) because she's going to be the beta for this story and is already doing an amazing job.

Hope you like this one *crosses fingers*

Please leave a review.

Love,

Sam

* * *

" **The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman"**

 **-William Shakespeare-**

 **.**

 **.**

Elena Gilbert woke up the morning of her eighteen birthday full of excitement and happiness. She threw her arms over her head, stretching her body languidly on her big queen-sized bed. Her bedding was stark white and incredibly soft, so soft that she didn't even want to leave her bed to go for breakfast, but one glance at the clock told her it was for the best if she got up, before her mother came searching for her.

She threw on her floor length, pale pink robe and tied her hair in a side braid before opening the door and heading out towards the dining room. The house was in full swing, people were coming in and out carrying chairs, tables and hundreds of decorations. Elena smiled brightly at seeing everything, because she knew they were all getting ready for her party.

Her sister Katherine had turned eighteen three years ago but she didn't allow her parents to throw her a party, instead she asked for a two month all round trip to Europe, with the most expensive accommodations and of course, alone. They complied with her but Elena knew that her mother was heartbroken because she had wanted to have a party for Katherine so badly. Therefore, Elena had decided to give her parents what they wanted and allowed them to throw her an over-the-top birthday party. After all she was the baby of the family.

"Well isn't the birthday girl looking lovely today", her father said with excitement the minute she walked into the dining room where everyone was already sitting down.

"Thank you! daddy", she answered with a sweet smile as her father got up from his seat at the foot of the table and walked towards her.

" _Happy Birthday princess_ ", he whispered before placing a kiss on her cheek as he embraced her small body in a strong hug. Elena returned the hug with equal fervor, it was no secret that Elena was a daddy's girl, she was her father's princess and she was very proud of it.

After that it was her brother Jeremy' turn, followed by her aunt Jenna and her mother. The three of them hugged her and placed kisses on her cheeks, and Elena let herself drown in her family's love. Then it was Katherine's turn, she pretended to be excited and happy, but Elena knew that her sister always wanted to be in the spotlight, therefore hated any occasion where Elena was the center of attention.

Once the congratulations were over and they were all sitting down, the party talk started again. Jeremy and her father pretended to be annoyed by it but they couldn't help but smile and comment from time to time. Elena had to admit that her mother and Aunt Jenna had gone all out, but she knew that doing this for her, made them happy, so she let herself just enjoy it.

A knock on the door stopped all talk of festivities as they all turned their heads towards the big, sliding doors of the dining room. The Gilberts had one big family rule; no one interrupted them during meal times, unless it was something of great importance.

"Come in", Grayson said in a deep, strong voice and the sliding doors opened to reveal a very distressed Elijah Smith.

Elena's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the man standing there. Elijah had been around her family since he was a little boy; he was best friends with her brother and worked for her father, he was almost like another member of the Gilbert Family and Elena had loved him ever since she could remember, it was too bad that he never saw her as anything other than Jeremy's little sister.

"I'm sorry to disturb you boss", his voice was deep and always made Elena go weak in the knees, "especially today", his eyes moved to her and her heart did a somersault when he gave her a small smile "but some important matters need your attention, immediately"

Grayson grunted and then nodded, "Thank you Elijah" he told the young man, "I'll be there in a second".

Elijah nodded in response and disappeared behind the sliding doors. Grayson and Jeremy both got up, "I'm sorry about this _princess_ , but I'll make it up to you today at the party". He winked before dropping a kiss on her forehead, Jeremy ruffled her hair on the way out and they both disappeared behind the doors.

After the men were gone, they all continued with their breakfast and talked about the party like nothing had happened. Elena was not stupid; she knew what her family was. Even though nobody talked about it directly, it was no secret that her father was one of Chicago's most powerful Dons, and that all they had, was built on violence and crime. She didn't like it or was proud of it, but it was the only life she knew, and she loved her family deeply. She would do anything for them in spite of the crimes they committed.

It was the one thing she had learned since she was a little girl.

"Family first. Always".

* * *

Damon Salvatore walked out of his father's office with a hint of annoyance in his expression. It was to be expected, after all, his old man had just ordered him to travel to Chicago, to an eighteen-year olds birthday party! To say there were other more interesting places, he would rather be, was an understatement, but it was business and no one took business more seriously than him.

He headed towards the back garden where he knew his little brother was at the moment. Damon was wearing a dark blue polo shirt and a pair of faded jeans but from the way the staff members stared at him you would think he was in an Armani suit. It wasn't just that he was incredibly handsome, it was the way he handled himself. The confidence, the ruthlessness with which he walked, like he was the king of the world and nothing could touch him.

In a way it was probably true.

When he reached the garden he spotted his baby brother eating breakfast with his girlfriend on one of white garden tables his mother liked to have around. A genuine smile appeared on his face at seeing the pair of them; they were few of the only people who could provoke a warm reaction from Damon.

Caroline Forbes was the daughter of Elizabeth Forbes, a Queen Pin who had earned Damon's and his father's respect, on knowing how to handle herself in a world full of men. She was Giuseppe's most trusted friend and the only one with whom he shared business information. Damon had known Caroline his entire life and knew there was no one better suited for his little brother. They had been together since she was fourteen and he didn't' think that was going to change any time soon. Damon was sure Stefan was going to pop the question very soon.

At 24, Stefan Salvatore was as inside in this business as anyone could be, but he still had a lot to learn. That's why their father always put him under Damon's watch, he knew no one could teach him like he could. But the problem with Stefan wasn't a matter of learning, the problem was his heart, he had too much of it.

Caroline spotted him before Stefan, and a frown appeared on her face when she saw his expression. "What's with the face?", the blonde girl questioned him before taking a piece of chocolate waffle into her mouth.

Damon took the remaining seat and stole a piece of Stefan's waffle before speaking, "Feel like going to a party love birds?".

"What?", Stefan asked while stopping him from stealing more of his food.

"Daddy dearest just ordered me to fly to Chicago for the birthday party of Grayson's Gilbert's youngest daughter. Apparently the man has been running lose lately and the old man wants to put him on a leash".

Stefan nodded as Caroline got her thinking face on. At 21, she already knew more about the business than any woman should, Damon wasn't surprised, given who her mother was. To be honest he hated that whole rule about not letting women know anything about their business, he thought it to be a retrograde idea implemented by men who had no idea of the power a woman could bring to the table.

"Elena Gilbert, right?", Caroline asked and he nodded remembering the name his father had given him.

"We met her couple of months ago remember?", Caroline asked Stefan.

"No, not really", he shook his head while his girlfriend rolled her eyes at him.

"Maybe you weren't paying attention", Stefan rolled his eyes in return, and Damon couldn't help but chuckle at the childish exchange between the couple.

"She seems like a sweet girl, very beautiful and a bit sheltered if you ask me", Caroline remarked.

"Sheltered?", Stefan asked.

"Well you know how Grayson Gilbert is and apparently she is his little princess so I guess the party is going to be over the top. What in the world am I going to wear?".

"Yeah because that would be your only concern", Stefan smirked at her and she elbowed him in return before directing her attention back to her breakfast.

"So what's dad going to offer?".

"Apparently Gilbert has been having some problems with a Mexican cartel and he's not handling things the way he should, Dad thinks it can end badly so he's going to offer our support", Damon explained as he took one of the toasts on the table in the center and smeared it with nutella , "soldiers, guns, etc."

"Tying them up even closer to you", Caroline offered and Damon only nodded, "honor against all".

"Smart", Stefan said.

"So, you kids coming or what?", Damon leaned back on the chair and eyed them as he bit into his toast.

"You're going to end up diabetic if you continue eating like that", Caroline gestured at the nutella dripping from Damon's toast; he only shrugged and put almost the whole thing in his mouth.

Stefan winced in faked disgust, "Yeah yeah we'll go".

"Yeah it'll be fun besides I think I need new friends", Caroline said in a very serious tone which only earned her chuckles from Damon and Stefan, "I'm serious, Andie is being a bitch lately and don't even get me started on Vicky".

"Vicky's always been a bitch", Damon offered.

"That didn't stop you from sleeping with her", Caroline said with annoyance.

"Well she's a bitch but she's hot", Damon smirked "and there's not a single thing she's not open to try in bed".

"You disgust me", Caroline said and Stefan laughed and kissed his girlfriend's forehead before returning to his conversation with Damon.

They finished their food and went separate ways so they could get their things together for the trip. They were leaving in a few hours and Caroline claimed she needed to express shop before it, the Gilberts were Chicago's royalty and she wasn't planning on going in an old dress.

In contrast to her Damon and Stefan went to their father's office, to go through the plan again and decide which men they were taking. The ideal was to have Giuseppe make the journey himself, but the man had been feeling ill lately and he refused to let anyone know, so he started giving Damon more responsibilities. His son had earned his name and the men's respect on his own. It was only a matter of time before everyone started to seeing him as the _capo di tutti capi._

At 29, Damon was already more ruthless and efficient than anyone, there was no doubt who was going to be the next boss and Giuseppe wanted everyone to know it.

Damon Salvatore was someone to be afraid of.

* * *

Elena tried to laugh at Tyler and Matt's jokes, but she was unable to, she had a feeling of uneasiness that she couldn't place a finger on. She and her friends were sitting in one of the small lounge areas in the garden where the party was being held, Elena spotted her mother and aunt mingling and joking around with their friends and even Jeremy who was always so gloomy, seemed to be having fun.

"Lena are you okay?", her best friend Bonnie said while taking a seat next to her.

Bonnie was the daughter of her father's consigliore and best friend, the girls had known each other since they were born. They were inseparable and there was no one who could read her better than her.

"I'm fine Bon", Elena answered with a fake smile on her face.

"Something's bothering you", Bonnie whispered so their other friends couldn't hear them.

They were a tight group; Matt, Tyler, Liv, Luke, Bonnie and her. They all had known each other since forever but even so, nobody knew Elena like Bonnie, maybe just Matt, but he was too busy trying to flirt with a brunette called April, to pay her attention.

"I don't know; I just have a bad feeling", she smoothed the fabric of the knee length champagne colored dress she was wearing and tried to avoid her friend's intense stare.

"What do you mean?", Bonnie asked with a worried expression.

"Don't pay attention to me, I'm just paranoid", Elena dismissed her friend's concern and moved her attention back to their friends' jokes. Bonnie didn't look convinced but after a while decided to drop the subject.

A few minutes passed before Elena felt it, someone was watching her. A chill ran down her body as her eyes scanned the garden trying to find the person who was staring at her.

Her heart stopped in her chest when she spotted him. He was across her table, sitting where his father was, some man was talking to him but he wasn't really paying attention, his entire focus was on her.

Elena started fidgeting with the fabric of her dress again when she felt his eyes roam all over her, her body heating up under his scrutiny. She felt warm and fuzzy all of a sudden. There was something in his blue eyes that scared her and excited her at the same time. His lips twisted into a conceited smirk and she couldn't take it anymore, she had to get away from his intense stare.

"I'm going to go and prepare myself something", Elena told Bonnie while gesturing at the bar.

"Do you want me to come with you?".

"No it's okay!", Elena reassured her friend and headed towards the bar. Suddenly she felt the need to be alone, to be away from his eyes so she could breathe freely again. No one had ever caused a reaction like that in her, not even Elijah; who the hell was that blue eyed man?

He was awestruck from the minute his eyes landed on her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her long brown hair fell and curled down her breasts, her legs were toned and long, her lips were full and soft and her face held an innocence that made her instantly attractive, but what drew him the most to her were her eyes! Doe-shaped, hazel eyes, that held so much life and love, all of the things he never had.

Damon knew that she was the birthday girl, Grayson Gilbert's eighteen-year-old daughter, the man his father had sent him to put on a leash. A sweet little thing like that couldn't know much about the world she lived in, couldn't know about men like him. If he were a decent man he would have walked away and only conduct the business he came for, but Damon had never been a decent man, and he wasn't going to start now.

He watched her go alone to the makeshift bar, his eyes following her every move. She was trying to make something for herself he assumed. She was completely caught up in her own thing, oblivious to everything going on around her. He excused himself and stood up, every nerve in his body telling him to not follow her but he fought them all, as he walked slowly and quietly towards, like an animal stalking its prey.

He stood beside her and eyed the thing she was mixing, "Do you have no fear of the world _bambolina_?". He saw the way her body tensed at his words, finally taking notice that someone was next to her.

"Excuse me?", her hands stilled and her eyes rose to meet his. The air got stuck in his throat at the full effect of her eyes on him, there was a hint of fear in there and awe too.

He gestured towards her drink, "With all of that you're mixing, I don't think you'll have a nice morning", he said in a much lighter tone than the one he had used before and saw her release the breath she was holding.

"Oh!", she looked at her drink nervously, "I'm not very good at this, I was just trying…". He could tell she was nervous, from what Caroline had told him, he knew she attended a catholic school and was shy. The definition of a good girl, Caroline had said. Damon could see that his presence was making her uncomfortable and he thrived on it.

"I could make you something", he offered and saw her eyes going wide at his words.

"No, I don't want to be trouble".

"Don't be silly _bambolina_ , you're the birthday girl", he smirked and did that eye thing that made women fall at his feet.

"Well then", she smiled at him and said "have it your way". A small glint appeared in her eyes and he thought that she would never have said those words if she knew what he wanted from her.

He pulled up the sleeves of his black button down and took the mixer, he added the ingredients and in no time he was shaking the damn thing and cursing himself for not walking away when he was supposed to.

Damon could feel her eyes watching him and that gave him a great deal of satisfaction, her mouth was slightly parted and her eyes were glazed over. She was getting turned on by watching him mix her drink, that's when he knew he needed to get out of the place fast because he was ten seconds away from bending her over the bar and fucking the hell out of her, that would do nothing to help his father's business.

"You seem to be good at that", she whispered as he took a martini glass and poured the mixer content on it.

"I've had a bit of experience", he winked at her before handing the glass, "I hope you enjoy it".

"This looks really pretty, what is it?" she asked eyeing the cup with a big smile. His heart did a weird skip, that he didn't want to dwell on too much, at seeing her happiness.

"That is a pear martini", he told her, it was Caroline's favorite drink and he guessed most girls liked the same things in matter of alcoholic beverages, "and it's delicious". He licked his lips, moving closer to her and her eyes went to his mouth instantly; mimicking his action she licked her lips.

"Well thank you Mr. Stranger Bartender", she said as a seductive smile appeared on her face and he wondered if she was indeed as innocent as she looked, "I'm sure I'll love it".

"Just take it easy on the alcohol tonight _bambolina_ ", he took a strand of her hair and curled it around his finger, "I wouldn't want you getting sick in the morning". He stretched her curl down her breasts and let his hand graze the underside of her chest before releasing the hair.

She closed her eyes and let out a barely audible hiss at the contact, Damon smirked when he saw her pebbled nipples through her dress. She was as turned on as he was, he guessed if his hands went inside her dress he would find her dripping wet for him. So he needed to get the hell away because he wasn't going to have her, not tonight anyway.

He got closer to her, his breath caressing her cheeks, "Happy Birthday Elena", he kissed the underside of her mouth and started walking back towards the house. He heard her shout, "Wait", but he didn't stop, instead he pulled out his cellphone and dialed his best soldier's number.

"Enzo I want you to keep an eye on the birthday girl tonight, I don't want any men near her".

"Got it boss".

Damon Salvatore was a ruthless man, the best of the best they all said. The next _capi di tutti capi_. But most importantly he was a man that always got what he wanted and tonight he had a glimpse of the most prized thing in the world and he was going to make her his. Sooner or later that little doll was going to be his and only his.

* * *

 _*Bambolina* Little doll_

 _*capo di tutti capi* Chief of all chiefs/ Boss of all bosses_


	2. The abyss also gazes into you

I'm so happy with the response of this story, I'm very glad that you're enjoying it. Your reviews make my life so much better.

Now on my previous disclaimer which I've seen worried a lot of you, when I say that Damon wouldn't change his ways I was referring to the fact he's a mobster and he won't stop being one because of her (and because you can't just stop being one so easily) but of course he's going to change for her in some way, after all what's a story without character development?

Anyway I really hope you enjoy this chapter and where this story is going.

Thanks so much Amber for being the beta on this story, you're amazing

* * *

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you"

 **-Frederick Nietzsche-**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Three years later**

The day of her 21st birthday was very different for Elena. She had been attending the University of Columbia for the last three years; majoring in Fashion Design and loving every single minute of it. But she wasn't enjoying the whole college experience like it was meant to be enjoyed, because her family wouldn't allow her to stay in the dorms or attend any parties, except for the ones where Bonnie or her brother accompany her.

Elena had no idea where all of this was coming from, she had always been sheltered and her father was overprotective of her as compared to Katherine. But ever since her eighteen birthday he had become worse, he treated her like a porcelain doll that could shatter into pieces any minute.

But today was going to be different. She was turning 21 and her father had allowed her to go with her friends to one of the hottest clubs of Chicago, of course Jeremy was going too, but tonight she didn't care, because Elijah would be there as well.

For the last few weeks something had been growing between them, it was as if he was finally realizing she was more than Jeremy's little sister and was acting differently around her. She sometimes caught him staring at her for too long and it always managed to send thrills down her back, although they weren't anything like the shivers that ran through her body every time she remembered the handsome stranger from her party three years ago. Elena was ashamed to admit that she had touched herself many nights to the memory of him. She had never seen him again or even knew his name but he had imprinted himself in her brain.

He wasn't here and Elijah was, and she loved Elijah, so tonight was the night Elena Gilbert was going to finally loose her virginity.

"Are you ready sunshine?" Bonnie asked walking into Elena's room wearing the hottest blue dress she had ever seen.

"You look amazing Bon"

"I know" the young girl answered and twirled around her room "you know who else looks fantastic? Elijah"

"I bet he does" Elena answered with a dreamy expression. She was sure that there was nothing in this world that could look bad on Elijah Smith.

"Are you excited?"

Elena nodded enthusiastically before brushing her hair once again. She decided to curl it and let it fall loosely around her shoulders, it made her look even more similar to Katherine but she didn't care. It was her birthday and she wanted to make an effort.

"Tonight is going to be awesome Elena" Bonnie threw an arm around her "I see only good things in your future".

"How many times do I have to tell you you're not psychic Bonnie" Elena chuckled.

"Mock me, you'll see I'm right soon enough"

The girls left the room in a fit of giggles, earning a nasty glare from Katherine, who was climbing the stairs, but for the first time Elena didn't care, her sister could glare at her all she wanted. Bonnie was right, only good things could be in her future.

They arrived at the Studio Paris nightclub and were led to a very VIP section of the place. Elena felt important and grown up for the first time in her life.

She danced away with Bonnie, until she abandoned her to go and make out with her brother, leaving Elena with the other college friends she had invited. The alcohol kept flowing and for the first time Jeremy turned a blind eye and let her do whatever she wanted.

The night was still in full swing when she let herself fall on one of the big white lounge sofas of the club. Her feet were killing her and she was more than a little bit dizzy, she wasn't a big drinker and had exceeded her limit tonight, something she would surely pay for in the morning.

Her mind instantly went back to the handsome blue-eyed stranger from her party. She could still remember the veins in his arms as he mixed her drink, the musky smell of his cologne and his wonderful sex-eyes. Because if there was something called sex-eyes, he had them.

Elena closed her eyes as she felt her nipples pebble and dampness appeared between her legs at the mere thought of him; the way he had grazed her breast and had breathed her name. Maybe it was the alcohol in her veins but she couldn't help herself and she rubbed her legs together to try and release the ache between them.

"Are you okay?"

Elijah's voice brought her back to reality and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her with a frown, a blush appeared on her face as she nodded at him, "Only a bit dizzy".

"You should take it slow" he said before sitting down next to her.

"I know"

He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Happy Birthday".

"Thank you" Elena moved her face an inch closer until their noses were almost touching each other. Even though her mind had been consumed by the handsome stranger moments earlier, now she couldn't see anything but Elijah's golden gaze, "I like you", she blurted out in a moment of complete disinhibition.

"I like you too" he smirked, before taking her lips in a kiss that escalated too quickly. His hands tangled in her hair, as he his tongue went inside her mouth. Elena moaned at the contact and moved so she was closer to his body, a heat was growing inside her and she needed someone to quench it but when his hand landed on her bare thighs and started creeping up her dress she stopped abruptly.

"I'm sorry" she said as she broke apart from him.

"It's okay" he touched her cheek softly "I got carried away".

"No, its fine" she shook her head, "I just freaked out".

"It's all right Elena" he smiled at her tenderly, "wait here I'll go get you some water"

She groaned and threw her head back as she watched him leave. Elena had longed for this moment her entire life, then why had she stopped it like that? Why hadn't it felt right?

She kept cursing herself even after they went returned home and Bonnie was sleeping soundlessly next to her. She had wanted Elijah her whole life, why she had reacted that way?

That night, blue eyes plagued Elena's dreams.

* * *

Elena woke up the next day with a severe hangover. The minute her eye lids opened, she felt the force of a thousand hammers on her temples, and she swore to never touch a single drop of alcohol ever again.

Bonnie was no longer sleeping next to her so she guessed her friend had gone to find Jeremy. Elena still didn't know what to think of the relationship between those two, she knew Bonnie was in love with Jeremy, but he still saw other girls besides her and her friend was aware of that fact. But it was all way too complicated for Elena to ponder over right now, especially when she felt like her head was being split open.

Luckily for her, there was a tray on her nightstand with toast, orange juice, coffee and two ibuprofens next to a large glass of water, Elena knew immediately that it was Jeremy's doing and she whispered a little prayer for him. She didn't care about his manwhore ways, he still was the best, big brother ever. Elena took the pills and drank the water greedily before attacking her breakfast.

Afterwards she took a much needed shower to get rid of last night's funk and was sitting in her boudoir, brushing her hair when Katherine burst in wearing the devilish smirk, that Elena hated so much, "Dad wants to see you".

"Me?".

Katherine nodded as her fierce eyes pierced Elena, "He sounded angry too, I wonder what the little princess did this time".

"I didn't do anything!" Elena said defensively.

Katherine shrugged and the smirk only grew on her face "Then go, don't keep him waiting" she said before abandoning the room.

Elena put a hand on her chest and tried to steady her heart, had her father figured out what happened between her and Elijah? No one else had seen them and she doubted he was going to go blabbing things to her father.

Katherine was surely messing with her, her father probably wanted to tell her something about her birthday present and nothing more. Everything was going to be okay. Elena tried to reassure herself as she walked out of her room and went in the direction of her father's office.

She stood in front of the closed, oak door and took a deep breath before knocking softly. "Come in", the clipped voice of her father answered. Something was off and Elena felt an uneasy feeling travel through her body as she walked inside the office.

"Kat said you wanted to see me".

"Walk closer" he said and Elena's eyes travelled to her mother. Her father was sitting behind his desk on his big cushioned, reclining black chair and her mother was on one of the two black chairs placed on the other side of the desk.

She had tears in her eyes and a chill ran down Elena's spine, as she watched her. "Daddy what is it?", the concern in her voice was something she wasn't able to hide.

"Elena sit down we need to talk" his hard eyes stared at her like they never had before. Elena had the feeling that she wasn't seeing her father right now but Grayson Gilbert, the mafia Don.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Elena tore her eyes way from her father and walked closer to the petite form of her mother.

"Miranda can you please leave us alone?". Her mother nodded and got up without even looking at her, the only sign that she acknowledged her presence was the reassuring squeeze she gave her arm as she walked past her.

"Mom!" Elena whispered as she watched her disappear behind the door, "daddy what's going on?".

"I've kept you sheltered for so long Elena, but this will have to come to an end today" Grayson's voice faltered a little at his last sentence, as a distressed look crossed his face.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked with a frown as she looked at the seat her mother had let left vacant.

"`Three years ago Elena I got myself into some big problems… I'm not going to dwell on those, but there was a price on my head". Elena gasped in horror at his words but he dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand, "The only reason I got out of it was because of the Salvatores".

Elena stared at him questioningly, she knew very little about the business her family was in but she had heard that name from time to time, either from her father's lips or Jeremy's. She knew they were important but she had no idea what it had to do with her.

"You have no idea of the power that family holds…they had my back and we made a deal, I promised something in return and they have come to collect". He looked at her with something resembling pity and for the first time in her twenty-one years of life Elena felt actual fear slowly creeping in and crippling her.

"Daddy?", she whispered "…what did you promise them?".

"You", he hung his head, unable to hold her stare.

Elena gasped in utter and complete shock, "What?".

"Damon Salvatore, the eldest son of Giuseppe asked for your hand in marriage and I agreed".

"You what?".

"Don't make me repeat myself Elena", Grayson said with an edge in his voice.

Elena huffed indignantly as she rose from the chair, "Dad this isn't the dark ages, we're in the twenty first century, you can't agree to marry me to someone. You have no say in who I marry".

"In this case I do Elena", he said harshly, as he banged his fist on the big mahogany desk.

"No you don't", she refuted as she paced back and forth in front of the desk.

"Don't you understand Elena? Damon Salvatore holds more power than anyone in this country", Grayson stood up as well, "he is the Don of the New York family, the most powerful of them all".

"So what?" Elena snorted petulantly, "I don't care if he's powerful, you can't ask me to marry some old guy just so you can get power".

"He's 32 Elena, hardly an old guy" Grayson said with a roll of his eyes, "this isn't just about power, it's about honor. About promises. We live by a code and we respect that code, no matter what"

"Why can't Kat do it?" Elena bit out as she stopped her pacing, "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to be a mafia queen" her words were dripping with disdain.

Grayson chuckled, "Katherine offered. Unlike you she knows the importance of this matter, but Damon wants you, not her".

 _Why me?_ Elena wanted to ask but kept her mouth shut. What could possibly be so special about her that this man wanted her? She wasn't sexy or bold, those were adjectives that belonged to her sister, every man always wanted her sister then why didn't this one? What made him want her?

Grayson walked to her and held her by the shoulders, "And if you love your family you would do what I'm telling you to do".

"You can't ask me that" Elena whispered.

His brown eyes, so similar to hers bore into her, "I'm not asking you, I'm commanding it".

"I'm not a child; I'm 21 you can't order me around!", she released herself from his hold and walked back.

"Oh really? Who's paying your tuition, whose house is it that you live in? Who gives you money for all those things you like to buy". He was giving her condescending looks and Elena hated it, her father had never looked at her that way.

"I don't want your money", she spat out.

He rolled his eyes, "Don't be ridiculous Elena", he circled he desk once again and went back to his chair.

"If this is what it costs, then I don't want any of it".

"This is for your family".

"Family? My family would never ask me to do something like this".

His eyes softened as he looked at her, "Don't be naïve Elena. You've always been my little girl, I've always wanted to protect you from the outside world but you must realize certain things, you must realize the world we live in".

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid".

"Then you must know everything comes with a price".

"And why do I have to pay this price?".

"Everyone in this family does sacrifices, not only you".

Elena stayed in silence unable to articulate an answer. Her mind going back to the times she had heard her mother crying at night and had seen Jeremy's bloodied face or the wounds no one wanted to talk about.

She looked at the floor, "I don't want to".

"Then you want us all killed?".

Her eyes watered as she raised them to stare at her father, the one man she had trusted her entire life, "How can you say that?".

"Because that's what will happen if we don't conform with this. I made a deal with Damon Salvatore, Elena, and he will not be swayed, he is the boss of all bosses, we can't refuse him", her father's stance was no longer the one of an angry man, he looked defeated and pleading.

"You made a deal, not me!", she shouted as furious tears streamed down her face. The whole world was closing in on her and she felt like she was choking.

"You are to be his wife or we're all going to be six feet under in a matter of days".

"Don't say things like that" her voice wavered.

"It's the truth princess" her father whispered crushed, "you're right, I can't force you. But are you going to turn your back on your family?".

She stared at him for a few seconds, "Of course not", Elena whispered before storming out of her father's office, sobbing as if her heart would break. She found Jeremy and Elijah on the way out, but refused to stop even when he called out for her and made a move to grab her arm.

Yesterday Bonnie had told her that she could only see good things in her future but she had been wrong. There was nothing but pain ahead of her, Elijah had kissed her yesterday and now she was facing a future with another man, a man she didn't even know a single thing about.

Elena had been born in a world full of crime and blood.

And now it was her time to pay the price.

* * *

Her eyes were swollen and her jaw hurt from the continuous tears she had shed since the minute her father had spoken with her. Elena was lying on her bed in the fetal position with her head buried in the pillow, as sobs kept wrecking her body. She thought that after three straight hours of non-stop crying her tears would dry up, but she was wrong, with every passing second, the fear and anxiety grew until she felt like she was choking, the walls closing in on her and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She heard a knock on the door and seconds later, Bonnie walked in carrying a tray filled with chocolate mint cookies, "I thought you could use some of this".

Elena eyed the tray and an involuntary smile formed on her lips, "Thank you", her voice was hoarse as she spoke.

"Jeremy told me" Bonnie said as she placed the tray on top of the bed and climbed on it, "he's as shocked as you are. Apparently the only one who knew about it was Katherine".

"Of course", Elena muttered remembering the beaming smile Katherine had when she walked into her room, "the bitch".

"I'm so sorry Lena", Bonnie said sympathetically. Elena nodded as she cleaned her nose with the sleeve of her shirt and sat cross-legged in front of her friend.

"Why is he doing this to me Bonnie?", Elena took a cookie and twirled it around in her hand, "I thought my dad loved me".

"He does Elena", her friend reached out and placed her hand on her knee, squeezing it softly, "I honestly don't think he had a choice. Even though people don't tell us a single thing, we know about the world we live in; about the things our parents do. It's not fair and I don't like it but it's how it is Elena".

"I hate it!".

"I know and I know you don't want to do this, I don't think your father wants it either but you'll do it anyway Lena, because you love your family", she said softly as Elena nodded taking a bite of her cookie trying to contain the tears that threatened to fall again, "family always comes first in this world".

Bonnie was right and Elena knew it, no matter how many tantrums she threw or how many tears she cried, in the end, she was going to do what her father was asking, because she loved her family with all of her heart and would do anything to save them.

"I asked Jer about him. The Salvatores own one of the biggest chains of restaurants in the country, they're originally from Florence", Elena nodded at Bonnie's words, 'restaurants' the façade for the disgusting world they lived in, "apparently they have power over pretty much everything"

"Go figure", Elena muttered.

"And he's actually really cute. I googled him", her friend told her, "want to see him?". She went to retrieve her phone but Elena stopped her,

"I don't want to see him Bonnie", she said harshly, "I don't care what he looks. He wants to marry me… either way I'm going to make his life a living hell".

"Elena!", Bonnie moved closer and gripped her friend's knee tightly, "he's a Mob boss not a regular guy, he's like your dad".

"So what?", she answered petulantly before taking another cookie from the tray.

"I heard that they call him The Ice Man".

"So I'm to marry an X-man?" she asked with a raised brow and Bonnie gave her a chiding look.

"He said it's because he's cold and callused" Bonnie took a deep breath before continuing, "and because his eyes turn to ice when he's about to kill".

Elena almost choked on the cookie she had been eating, "Why would you tell me that Bonnie? Jesus!" There was a catch in her voice and Bonnie almost felt sorry for telling her what she had.

"That's what they say!" Bonnie said defensively "I don't even know if that's true but I want you to be careful. He's not a good man Elena", she gave her a soft look "You're stubborn and feisty and while I love all of that about you, I don't want you to make your life harder than what is already going to be".

"Well I hate him" Elena dropped the rest of her cookie back on the tray, "I don't even know him and I already hate him" she spat out, venom dripping from her words.

"I know I'm so sorry Elena" Bonnie whispered as Elena leaned forward and rested her head on her friend's lap.

"I don't want this Bonnie" Elena cried as her best friend caressed her hair softly.

Only a few hours ago she had been so deliriously happy, she had turned twenty-one and the boy she had loved all her life had kissed her for the first time, her future had looked so promising. Elena hated the turn her life had taken in the last twenty four hours; she hated her father and the world they lived in.

But most of all she hated Damon Salvatore!

* * *

 **P.S Just to clarify, Elena and Kat are not twins, Kat is a few years older than Elena**


	3. The allure of darkness

**Hey guys!**

 **I'm super happy that you're liking this story, even if you still have some reservations about it. I hope you enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think about it.**

 **Love you all and thanks so much for following the story.**

 **And thanks to Amber for being an over the top beta.**

 **Here we go.**

* * *

"Don't underestimate the allure of darkness. Even the purest of hearts are drawn to it"

 **-The vampire diaries-**

.

.

Damon was in his living room, pouring himself a glass of bourbon, when his sister-in-law walked in, his brother trailing behind her. "Please tell me that what Stefan is saying, isn't true!" she snapped in a tone that meant trouble. Although Damon had been waiting for this moment ever since he made his decision known, he had hoped for at least one more day of peace.

Damon sighed deeply before turning around, glass in hand and a frown on his forehead, "And what has my brother told you?"

Stefan gave him an annoyed look as he plonked himself on one of the big, red, antique couches Damon loved so much, "I told her about your upcoming nuptials!"

Damon smirked as he took a seat opposite him and watched in amusement as his sister-in-law remained standing, with her arms crossed belligerently, "You can't force a girl to marry you Damon, do you actually know how low that is?"

"I am not forcing anyone. I made a proposition and her father accepted", Damon picked up his glass, sipping lazily, before directing his eyes to the amused ones of his brother, "wasn't that what happened Stefan?".

"It was!" Stefan answered idly as the blonde fumed.

"You two are unbelievable", she huffed, "I have met her Damon; she's a sweet girl and very young still, she doesn't deserve this!"

"Are you implying that I can't be good for her?", he faked indignation as he watched his friend roll her eyes at him, "that marrying me is a punishment of sorts?"

"We both know that you would break a girl like that", she said as she sat next to her fiancé, "she's too sweet for you Damon!"

"Ouch", he clutched his chest dramatically, "I'll try not to be offended", he chuckled, "maybe you don't give her enough credit," Damon answered. Although there was no denying the fact that it had been her innocent eyes and aura of pureness, that had first drawn him to her, he had also seen something else that night; a passionate fire in her. A dark part that was dying to get out and he'd be damned if he wasn't the one to set it free.

Stefan sighed, "The thing is Caroline, he needs a wife", he stated, "there's no other way around it!"

At thirty-two, Damon had already dodged that bullet long enough, the people under him expected him to be a family man and his mother had been begging for it ever since he turned twenty-seven. Damon had never wanted to be tied down to someone for the rest of his life nor he believed in love and things of that sort, the only things that mattered to him were power, his business and his family; there was no room for anything else. And then he had seen her; so innocent and naïve, but with a fire burning inside her, he had wanted her ever since the moment he had laid eyes on her. He realized he needed her, even more so now that his father's health was failing; it was a matter of time before he was made Boss and every Boss needed a wife. So when he saw his opportunity he took it.

"I know! but why can't you find someone who's actually willing?" Caroline pouted. She was always complaining about the mob's unfair treatment of women and things like this put her on the edge even more.

"Because I want her!" he spat out with a possessiveness edge to his voice, his entire stance dark and dangerous. It was in moments like these when Caroline couldn't see Damon her friend, but Damon 'The Ice-Man Salvatore', the _capo_ everyone was afraid of. The one who could command with a mere flick of his fingers and render a whole room speechless, just by walking in. That was the Damon she was afraid of, the Damon she didn't want Elena Gilbert to meet.

"And when are we going?" Stefan asked casually, easing the tension that started to grow in the room.

"Going where?" Caroline asked.

"Chicago", Damon smirked, "for the engagement dinner. My fiancée needs to meet me and I need to meet her whole family." He downed the rest of his drink and placed the glass on the coffee table.

"So get your suitcases ready Blondie."

"That statement right there makes me feel like we're back in the dark ages," Caroline snorted as the brothers laughed, completely shameless of their actions.

"Complain all you want Blondie, the wedding is happening", his eyes shone with mischief, "but before that I need to steal your fiancé for the night."

Damon gave Stefan a serious look and he nodded in understanding, Caroline remained silent and pretended to be entertained by something on her phone, as the brothers walked out of the room. She knew better than to ask questions.

Damon and Stefan strode to the headquarters of the family, where a man was hanging upside down from the ceiling. Some odd things had been happening lately, there were some delays that shouldn't be occurring; four of his men had died this week, he had to face four wives and tell them their husbands were gone. This people was his family and someone was messing with them and he was going to find out who, nobody went after his family and got out unharmed, he suspected the _Bratva,_ but wasn't going to start a war before knowing for sure.

Damon was the boss now, the most powerful of them all and he would bring anyone trying to cross him, to their knees. Stefan was his underboss and Alaric remained as the consigliere but there was no one better at torture than Enzo, his favorite soldier and most trusted man.

That's why he had brought him along; if someone was going to get some answers it was going to be Enzo, because he would not allow someone to keep hurting his people. So they spent the entire night in that place, hearing horrific screams and seeing more blood in a single night than most people saw in their entire lifetime.

When it was all over, they washed out the blood and headed to their private plane. Damon couldn't wait to see the pretty little thing that was Elena Gilbert, maybe with her light she would be able to erase the darkness that engulfed him when he closed his eyes.

* * *

Elena sat in her bedroom as her mother brushed the long and straight locks of her hair. She was the epitome of perfection, a sleeveless champagne colored dress graced her body, her lips were painted a soft rose color and her eyes had a fair amount of make up, she looked pretty but not over the top.

Her father always said she looked like a doll but today Elena hated that remark more than she had ever before.

"You don't have to do this sweetheart," Miranda Gilbert whispered to her daughter as she met her eyes in the mirror. It pained her to see such sadness in her youngest daughter's eyes.

"You and I both know, I have to mother", Elena bit out, "or all of us are going to end up in the ground". Elena had a lot of time to mull over her decision the past few days, truth be told, running away had passed through her mind a couple of times but the thought of something happening to her family stopped her each time.

"This is your father's problem, he'll have to find a way to fix it", Miranda said as she dropped the brush on the dressing table and gripped her daughter's shoulder, "I don't want you to be condemned to this life!"

"It's too late for that mother, I was born in the _Cosa Nostra_ …it was only a matter of time before I had to pay the price", she looked down, "I was condemned to this the minute my name surfaced in their conversation."

Miranda sighed and stroked her hair softly; Elena closed her eyes and let herself be caressed by her mother. Her father had told her that the wedding was happening in three weeks' time, and that she would be going to New York with her husband afterwards, which meant she had only these last precious moments with her family, to cherish and remember, before becoming the prisoner of the most powerful man in the country.

The door opened and Katherine walked in wearing a tight, red dress and the most devilish smirk on her lips, "Prince charming is here!"

Elena held her breath for a few seconds before gripping her mother's hand and standing up. She smoothed her dress and headed towards the door with Katherine leading the way and her mother trailing behind them.

Elena had been ready for pretty much anything tonight except for what she found when she walked into the living room. They were three men and one woman; Caroline. Elena had met her before and had genuinely liked her, until now when she realized that she was a part of their group. But what made her catch her breath wasn't her presence, or the two other men who looked as dashing as models. No, what took her breath away and made her legs tremble, were the pair of blue eyes, currently looking at her with amusement. Eyes she had been dreaming off for the last three years.

"You!" she whispered so low that she was sure no one heard her, except maybe him because the corner of his lips tipped into a smirk as he walked towards her.

"You must be Elena", his eyes sparkled as he looked at her, "I'm Damon!"

She stared at him dumbfounded, unable to form a coherent sentence, before lifting her chin and looking straight into his eyes, "Nice to meet you Damon!" She trembled as his gaze went to her lips and lingered there for a few seconds.

He took the hand that was resting on her side, and placed his lips on the back of it, in a soft kiss, "Great meeting you too Elena."

She felt a tingling where his lips touched her but didn't want to give anything away. She released her hand from his grasp and glared at him. In response he only looked at her with a smirk, as if her behavior had amused him greatly, which in turn made her angrier.

The maid walked in and announced that dinner was served, and as they headed towards the dining room, Elena's eyes found Elijah's and what she saw in them broke her heart. He looked devastated, she had never seen such sadness in his beautiful gaze and it pained her to know it was because of her, and that they had been robbed of the chance of being together because of the whim of a powerful man.

Damon watched the exchange in silence and did his best to control his temper and not cause a scene. He knew infatuation when he saw it and if his child bride had a silly crush on that man; he would not allow it. Once she was his, she would forget about any man she had ever met before.

Dinner was as awkward and painful as Elena had expected it to be. She learned that one of the other men who came with Damon was his younger brother Stefan, Caroline's fiancé, and the other one who was called Enzo was one of Damon's most trusted men.

Almost the entirety of the night Damon, his brother and her father talked about business while Caroline tried to make small talk with her but Elena didn't respond much as she wanted nothing to do with Damon's clan.

During one point in the evening Katherine put her flirt on to the maximum, capturing Damon's attention, as she talked about the time she had spent in Italy and what she liked the most. She twirled her hair and smiled seductively and his eyes followed her every move. Katherine had always managed to bewitch men and it seemed Damon was not an exception. For reasons Elena didn't want to dwell on too much, that bothered her, Damon was here because he was going to marry her and yet he couldn't keep his eyes off her sister, he was supposed to be looking at her not Katherine.

With each passing minute she grew angrier; at her father for allowing this nonsense, at Damon for doing this to her and at herself for caring about what he did or didn't do. Elena was more than glad when her father told them that Damon and Stefan needed to discuss business with him and Jeremy, and that they were all going to be in his study.

She scurried away and locked herself in her room. The ordeal was over for today but she knew that Damon was staying until the wedding, or at least that was what her father had told her. He wanted to spend time with her before the wedding, the thought both angered and excited her at the same time and she hated herself for it.

She tried to sleep that night but her mind refused to shut off, images of him kept plaguing her thoughts, making her unable to stay calm. When she glanced at the clock and realized it was three a.m. already, she got up from her bed and threw on her robe before heading to the kitchen.

Nothing was going to help her sleep except maybe a cup of her favorite mint tea. She prepared her drink and sat on the stool, quietly sipping it. Alone in the darkness, her thoughts strayed to the wedding, how did girls in the past do this? Marry a man whom they barely knew anything about.

"You shouldn't be alone in the dark", the soft murmur of a velvety voice said behind her, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the sound, "even though interesting things happen in the dark…sometimes". A single finger touched her shoulder, slowly drifting along the bare expanse of her arm.

Elena let herself get carried away by the sensation and closed her eyes at the touch, her head lolling to the side as he moved closer.

"I saw you today _bambolina_ … with that little _stronzo._ "

His words made Elena grow stiff.

"I don't know what are you talking about!" she said defensively as she stood up and tried to move away from him but he stopped her, putting both hands on top of the counter and trapping her between them.

"Don't take me for a fool", he moved closer until his entire front was flushed to her back, "I know what I saw and I will not allow this nonsense to continue."

"I love him!" she said impulsively and regretted it immediately, remembering Bonnie's words.

Damon chuckled, "You don't love him, trust me."

"What do you know about love?"

"What do _**you**_ know about love _bambolina_?", he pressed his face into her hair and breathed in her scent, "you are too much of a woman for someone like him."

"You don't even know him!"

"But I know his type", he whispered in her ear, "you need someone who can give you passion and danger. Who can make you acknowledge the darkest parts of yourself", his words were like a spell being cast on her, "you need a real man"

"You're insane" she whispered.

"Maybe… and I think you know better than to cross a mad man", his hands moved and gripped her waist from behind, "you are mine Elena" he whispered before taking her earlobe into his mouth and sucking it lightly. Elena felt the pull between her legs and hated her body for responding like this to him.

"I don't ever want to see you close to that man again, defy me and I'll send him to you in pieces," he whispered in her ear, his voice no longer seductive but hollow and cold, so cold that it sent a shiver down her back.

He retreated and walked away, the sound of his shoes resonating in the silent kitchen as Elena remained still, her hands gripping the counter until her knuckles turned white. Her heart beating a mile a minute as the reality of her life sank in.

 _Capo di tutti capi_ , her father had said, Elena knew how brutal a man had to be, to be called that. She was marrying a monster and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Elena remained in the kitchen for a few more minutes before heading back to her room. If everything that happened until that moment hadn't convinced her tonight was the worst night of her life, what she saw next when she reached the top floor did.

Elijah was tiptoeing away from the hallway, shirtless, Katherine's door was open and she was leaning against it with a satisfied smile on her face. Elena felt bile rise to her throat as her sister turned around and saw her, by then Elijah had already disappeared around the corner.

"Why?", Elena asked in a breathless whisper as she walked to her sister's door. Katherine wasn't an idiot; she had to know Elena had feelings for that man.

"You took something from me so I took something from you", her smile was arrogant, "tit for tat darling sister".

"What are you talking about? What could I have possibly taken from you?" Elena cried out, feeling a hole in her chest that was threatening to choke her completely.

"Don't be naïve Elena. I have no idea what you did to set his eyes on you, but it should have been me", Katherine spat in her face, the smug smile replaced by an angry frown, "I should have been Damon's queen, not you, you dull little girl!"

"I never asked for this Katherine!"

"And you expect me to believe you?"

"How can you hate me so much?" Elena asked, her upper lip quivering as tears filled her eyes.

"Stop the melodramatics Elena, I won this one. Pretty easy too, he was more than willing", she smirked before turning around and walking inside her room, "and I can assure you he enjoyed it greatly!" she said before slamming the door on her younger sister's face.

Elena went to her bedroom and cried herself to sleep. Everything was falling apart around her and she had no idea what to do. In a matter of days every dream she'd ever had, was crumbling to pieces.

There was no bright future ahead of her.

Only pain and coldness.

* * *

 **Review?**


	4. Coldest story ever told

_Hey there!_

 _Oh my God thank you so much for reading and reviewing this, I'm so blown away with your response to this story, you guys are the best!_

 _Also I want to thank Amber for being an over the top beta and making my job so much easier!_

 _I really hope you like this chapter, I want to hear all about it._

 _Love,_

 _Sam_

* * *

" **You were the moon. All this time. And he was always there for you, to make you shine.**

 **Was he the sun?**

 **No, honey. He was the darkness"**

 **.**

.

After the fateful night, when Elena had seen Elijah leaving Katherine's bedroom, she had refused to talk to her sister, not that they talked a lot before or that she even cared. Every time Katherine looked at her it was with that condescending smirk, Elena had learned to hate so much. Although they had never been close or the best of friends as sisters are supposed to be, still Elena had never thought she would do something so low to deliberately hurt her like this.

Elijah on the other hand… Elena had been avoiding him since she had seen his betrayal and even though there were moments when she was sure he wanted to speak with her, he never did. Elena had no idea if he was aware that she knew about him and Kat, but ever since she had seen him leave her sister's room, he didn't even want to look at her.

Two weeks had passed since that ill-fated night, and Elena had hated every single moment of every single day. Damon hadn't been able to stay like he had promised but that didn't mean he was going to leave her alone, he left Enzo in his stead, to function as her bodyguard, not that she needed one. The man followed her everywhere and was getting on her nerves, and the way he looked at Bonnie didn't help either. Elena was grateful that Jeremy hadn't noticed or things would be have gotten bloody already.

Damon sent her gifts every couple of days; flowers, chocolates, dresses, jewelry. Every single item he gave her ended up in the trash, he was insane if he thought he was going to buy her with pretty things, Elena was not that kind of woman and would never be.

The wedding was one week away and Elena had refused to take part in the planning. Damon had hired a wedding planner and her mother was the one making all the decisions, Elena couldn't care less about flowers or centerpieces. She didn't even know why they had to throw a party; she just wanted everything to be over already.

Right now, she found herself standing in front of a big mirror, while Bonnie fawned over the dress she was wearing.

"You have to choose this one Elena", her friend exclaimed, "the wedding is next week and you still have nothing to wear!"

"Great maybe we can postpone it!" Elena bit out and her friend gave her a sympathetic look.

"We both know that's impossible", she sighed, "but this dress is beautiful!"

The dress was indeed breathtaking. It was an ivory, strapless, mermaid lace gown over web lace. It made her look stylish and beautiful; it was the perfect dress, the one she would wear if she was marrying the love of her life

"I don't know, maybe we should try another one!"

"Elena, you look stunning in this", Bonnie told her, "and its Vera Wang!"

"Aren't her dresses cursed or something?"

"Nonsense!"

Elena stared at herself for a few more minutes and saw her mother entering the store, her eyes glancing to her wedding gown-clad figure and her eyes filling up with tears.

"Elena… you look breathtaking!" she whispered and Elena knew it was futile to fight this. She was going to get married, this was going to be her wedding and even though she hated the groom with the fire of a thousand suns, she was going to marry him, wearing the most kickass dress out there.

"So I guess this one is the one!" she said as a sense of dread invaded her. In just a couple of days she was going to be Elena Salvatore and there was not a more frightening thought.

"Of course it is!", her mother said, "Oh sweetheart you look beautiful!" Her mother was staring at her with stars in her eyes and Elena wondered how her mother and Bonnie managed to forget she was going to marry a psychopath, that this wedding was a lie and she was nothing more than a bargaining chip in a game way out of her league.

They spent the rest of the day shopping for things Elena was going to need like shoes and undergarments; the minute they entered the lingerie store she felt like throwing up. The only thing they didn't shop for, was jewelry. Damon had sent a box, with instructions not to be opened until the wedding day, containing the jewelry he wanted Elena to wear that day. At that point Elena no longer cared; he could keep the damn jewelry for all she cared about.

After the shopping was done, her mother went back to the house, while the girls headed to one of their favorite restaurants for dinner, with Enzo trailing behind them as usual.

They chose a secluded table at the back of the restaurant, while their body guard sat by himself on one of the tables close enough to aid them if something happened, but not close enough to hear what they were talking about.

"Are you scared?" Bonnie asked once they were on their second martini of the night. Elena had ordered a pear one, it had been her favorite drink ever since he had prepared it for her that night three years ago.

"Of course I'm scared Bonnie!" Elena answered. "I'm going to marry a man I barely know, someone who kills for a living!" she whispered the last part.

"I don't think he actually kills for a living but God Elena, I hate that you have to be in this situation," Bonnie grimaced. They had been friends their whole lives and they only wanted each other's happiness. "What are you most afraid of?" she asked.

"Honestly, the wedding night" Elena said looking down and her friend nodded in understanding. "You know I've never been with anybody Bonnie, I never felt ready… and I doubt Damon is the kind of man who would wait for me"

"Maybe he could be" her friend tried to reassure her. "Maybe if you talk to him and explain, he could wait. You hardly know the man… he might understand how difficult this situation can be for a girl"

Elena shook her head in negative, "If he understood, he wouldn't be asking me to marry him. He's not a nice man Bonnie; don't they call him The Ice Man for a reason?" Elena played around with the food on her plate.

"He's going to take whatever he wants from me…", her eyes welled with tears and her friend reached across the table to hold her hand. "I hate him Bonnie"

"I know you do sweetheart", her friend stroked her hand softly, "and I wish there was something we could do to get you out of this"

"But there isn't" Elena whispered. "Family first, always!"

"I'm so sorry Elena"

"Will you come to visit?" Elena asked in a hopeful voice.

One of her greatest fears about this marriage was being with Damon in a strange city. She had lived her entire life in Chicago, everyone she had ever met was here, this was her safe place, but Damon was going to take her to a completely unknown city, surrounded by people she didn't know, his people, who didn't care for her at all.

"Of course I will Elena" Bonnie smiled softly. "We've never been apart ever since we were children; we're not going to start now."

Elena smiled slightly, her friend's words comforting her. She needed her people around her or she was going to lose her mind.

That night when she got back to her house, Elena went to her bedroom and locked herself there. She pulled out her journal, her confidant and true companion, and started writing frenetically. There were so many thoughts swirling in her head and nothing worked better for her than to put them on paper, it was a therapy of sorts, she had done that since she was a little girl. Katherine used to mock her and steal her diary when they were younger, Elena thought bitterly about how her sister had always tried to make her life a living hell, for reasons she couldn't ever fathom.

An incessant ringing made her pause and she stretched her arm to pick the offending object that lay on the night stand, frowning as she looked at the screen of her phone, which displayed an unfamiliar number. She answered anyway and once she heard the voice on the other end, she wished she hadn't.

"Hello child bride"

"Damon…", She sighed, "how did you get my number?"

"Well we are going to get married, I guess it's only logical that I have your number don't you think?" She clenched her jaw guessing it had been her father who gave it to him.

"Anyway I just wanted to wish you good night!"

"Great, I don't care!"

"Ouch, you do have a way of hurting my feelings Elena", his voice was filled with amusement and Elena could almost see him smirking on the other end. "You don't care about my phone calls and you throw away all my presents."

"How did you…? "

"There's not a thing you can keep from me," his voice was icy and it send a shiver down her spine. Damon had a unique way of changing from funny and playful to cold and calloused in a matter of seconds. "And I want to know what my gifts did to offend you so much that they are lying in the trash as we speak!"

Elena snorted and cursed mentally, guessing it had been his lap dog, Enzo, who told him about that, the man was like her freaking shadow.

"I don't want anything that comes from you Damon. You can't buy me like a doll!"

"But you are wrong _bambolina_ , I don't want to buy you. I don't need to, I have you already," he said arrogantly.

"You're an idiot!"

"That I've heard before. Anyway I just wanted to spoil my future wife with some presents that was all." There was slight pause and Elena could hear the shuffle of papers, "It's a way of showing that I care about you, Elena and about what's going to happen between us."

"Then you have no idea what it means to care about someone." She said harshly. "You can't buy people's affection Damon."

There was silence on the other end and Elena wondered briefly if she had hurt his feelings by not accepting the gifts.

His voice was unsteady when he spoke again, "We'll see about that"

Elena sighed, "Why are you doing this Damon?"

"Doing what?"

She closed the journal that still rested open on the bed and sank on her big, fluffy pillows, "Why do you want to marry me? I'm nothing special; you could literally have any woman you want."

"But I want you" his voice was filled with an emotion she wasn't able to name. "I have wanted you ever since I saw your face"

"This is just a whim!"

"It's not! Elena, your body sings for me, I know you know it." The huskiness in his voice made her blood run hot. "You felt it when I touched you that night, I bet you thought about me more than once."

"I never did," She lied.

"You can fool me but you can't fool yourself", he told her. "I feel it whenever I am around you, the energy sizzling between us."

Elena closed her eyes and involuntarily rubbed her legs together, the mere sound of his voice did things to her than no one had done before. "You're insane!"

"You wish I was", he chuckled, "but you know I'm right! No one would ever be enough for you, not even that stupid boy you fancy so much"

At the mention of Elijah her eyes opened and coldness swept through her body. "Don't you dare… "

"It's the truth Elena" he silenced her. "Once I have you…oh _dolcezza_ you'll never ask for another, there will be no one after I make you mine."

His words excited and terrified her at the same time but above all they made her incredible angry.

"You won't have me" She bit out.

Damon laughed and it was such a deep sensual sound that her body started heating up again. Elena hated the reaction her body had to him, she was like a fucking cat on heat.

"Oh but I will. You're mine _dolcezza_ and you will be mine forever!"

"I hate you!"

He chuckled, "By all means hate me… that is the perfect beginning of a love story. It means you feel for me, there's passion in you that sings for me."

She sat and gripped the phone tightly in her hand, "You're delusional"

"Dream of me _bambolina_ ", he whispered before hanging up on her. Elena stared at the screen of her phone for a second before throwing it across the room in complete rage.

Who the hell did that man think he was? He might be the most dangerous man in town but he was never going to control her the way he wanted to.

Elena knew she hated him, but she wasn't sure for what she hated him the most; for forcing her to marry him or for the emotions he evoked in her.

* * *

Elena could barely sleep the night before the wedding. Jenna and her mother had wanted to throw her a bachelorette party, but one nasty glance from Elena was enough to quell their fervor and quiet them down. She guessed Damon was having one, and even though she wanted to believe that she didn't care what he did, she knew better, he had gotten under her skin.

She woke up many times during the night, dreading what the morning would bring with it. She would marry him and he would take her to New York, a place where he held all the control.

When her mother came in to wake her up, she found her lying in the fetal position, clutching her pillow desperately. Miranda sat next to her and started stroking her hair lovingly, "It's going to be okay sweet heart!" Elena wanted to believe her but she wasn't that naïve. Nothing was going to be okay.

"I'm scared mama!"

"I know, I'm scared too," She confessed.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, Elena was so scared her body was visibly shaking and her mother did her best to calm her down. She even asked for tea to be brought to her bedroom and only when they couldn't delay it anymore they stood up and Elena went to take a shower while Miranda made sure everything was loaded in the car.

The wedding was being held in one of the most luxurious hotels of Chicago, that's where Elena was going to get ready and where she would spend her first night as a married woman.

Before walking out of her bedroom Elena stood at the threshold of her room and gave it a last, lingering look; some of the best memories of her life were associated with this place and now she had to let it all go. She had never lived anywhere but in this city and now she was being forced to go elsewhere; a place where she didn't know anyone and didn't feel safe.

She clutched her chest and tried to control the tears, as she closed the bedroom door behind her. Elena didn't feel like she was going to a wedding, she felt like she was going to a funeral.

* * *

 **So?**


	5. Without passion, we'd be truly dead

**You are going to hate Damon on this one but I promise it's going to get better.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I love to hear all you have to say.**

 **Huge thanks to Amber for being an awsome beta!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"Passion... it lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us... passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments; the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank... without passion, we'd be truly dead."

 **-Buffy the Vampire Slayer-**

 **.**

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Elena stared at herself in the full-size Victorian mirror of the hotel room, where she was getting ready; her eyes looked big and frightened, the makeup artist told her she had the bridal glow but Elena knew she was lying. There was nothing glowing about her.

She saw her mother approach in the reflection of the mirror, "The car is already waiting," Miranda said and Elena turned her frightened eyes towards her. "It's going to be okay baby," the elder woman tried to reassure her daughter.

Elena nodded, knowing it was a lie but not caring anymore, because there was nothing she could do to stop what was coming. She took a deep breath and bowed her head so her mother could place the veil on her, the final touch, the only thing that was missing until now.

Her hair was curled slightly in what they now call beach waves and was styled in a half up do; Elena had chosen to wear a small blusher veil that ended at the tip of her nose. She looked like a vision – a princess coming out of a fairytale; she thought every woman should look like this on her wedding day but marrying the man they love, not the man who bought them.

Elena held her breath the entire ride to the church; they were marrying in Holy Name Cathedral because Damon wouldn't accept anything less than that. Elena's mouth twisted in a sardonic smirk at the absurdity of her soon-to-be husband; insisting on holding their vows on holy grounds, a man who was a criminal like her father, and yet both claimed devotion to God, thinking he would turn a blind eye to the crimes they committed.

The minute the car stopped in front of the massive and imposing historical building, Elena's hands started shaking. Bonnie who was also in the car with her held her hand on top of her lap, "I'll always be here for you Elena", she said reassuringly and Elena's eyes filled with tears. "If he ever lays a finger on you we'll chop him and feed him to the dogs!"

Elena laughed throatily and squeezed her friend's hand, "Thank you Bon but I think you've been watching Game of Thrones a little bit too much!"

"It's very educating."

"Girls!" Miranda's voice made them turn, motioning them to exit the car pointing to the door of the limousine, Elena hadn't even realized it was open already. "It's time!"

Bonnie squeezed her hand one last time and exited the car.

"You can do this Elena!" she said to herself softly, before taking a deep breath.

She was not a weak woman, she knew she often came across as shy and innocent but she wasn't. She was strong and she was going to fight Damon Salvatore every step of the way, she would not submit to him even if it cost her her life. "It's show time Elena!" she said to herself before stepping out of the limo.

The wedding march began and every step she took, moved her closer to the man at the end of the aisle, a man who, even though it pained her to say it, looked breathtakingly dashing. His tailored, black tux molded to his body magnificently and the white crisp shirt he wore underneath made the blue of his eyes look even more vivid… and the bow, that damn bow at his collar, made him look like a movie star.

Elena felt her legs tremble and she clutched her father's arm even more tightly. His lips twisted into a knowing smirk, a smirk that made her want to punch him and kiss him at the same time. There was no one in the world who unnerved Elena Gilbert more than the man waiting for her a few steps away.

When her father placed her hand on top of Damon's, an electric current zapped through her whole body. She willed herself to stay calm but her flight or fly instinct was telling her to get the hell away from that church as fast as she could.

"You look stunning if it isn't obvious!" he murmured huskily as they turned to stare straight into the priest eyes.

"Bite me, Damon" Elena muttered under her breath.

"I'll take that as an invitation," his tone was cocky and Elena threw the nastiest of glances in his direction.

The rest of the ceremony was a series of mechanical movements on her part, she did what the priest told her, she smiled when she was supposed to and played the role of a blushing bride to textbook perfection. The role both Damon and her family wanted her to play; she executed it flawlessly, like the perfect little doll she had always been.

A part of her wanted to burst out laughing, when the priest talked about true love and how kind and selfless it was, she wanted to laugh and cry at the irony and absurdity of this moment in her life.

The worst moment was the kiss! The priest declared them man and wife and Elena knew that she had signed her life away, that she now belonged to him and she would be his until he decided otherwise. When he leaned down and she felt his breath caressing her face, she hated herself for feeling tingles all over her body, she hated herself for relishing in the delicious feel of his soft lips against her and the electricity that sparked through them. She hated herself because when they broke apart and he smiled at her, she wished that the kiss had gone on longer. More than anything, she hated how her body refused to listen to her mind, and despite the fact that she loathed him, it yearned desperately for his touch.

As the night carried on, Elena realized it was going to be filled with one terrible moment after another. She was introduced to Damon's friends and family, his mother seemed sweet but Elena didn't plan on getting too attached; she watched Katherine flirt shamelessly with her new husband, she witnessed a drunk out-of-his mind Elijah being dragged out by Jeremy without her father knowing. Although that pathetic scene shattered her heart into a million pieces, the crowning glory of the night went to her first slow dance with Damon.

A moment she had imagine all her life, every girl's quintessential dream about her wedding day since the moment they grasp the meaning of it! Elena had pictured that moment a thousand different times but in every one of those instants, she was in the arms of a man she loved, not someone who had decided he wanted her, without caring about her feelings at all.

"You could at least smile," Damon whispered in her ear, as they slow danced. Elena raised her head to meet his stare and found those striking blue eyes looking coldly at her, "Everyone is looking."

Her eyes darted around the room and she realized that he was right. Her lips curved in the sweetest and most fakest of smiles, "Is this okay dear husband?"

He smirked as his eyes shone in a way that scared her, "That is perfect dear Scarlet!" he told her and chuckled when she stared at him clueless. "Isn't it her character that you're channeling right now?" he tilted his head and stared at her with a smile. "The poor girl marrying to save her family! I wonder where the mighty Ashley has disappeared to. He's a bit of a sorry drinker if you ask me!"

Elena's blood boiled with rage at the contemptuous way he spoke to her, she tried to pull free of his embrace but he stopped her and pressed her body closer to his. "Now don't make a scene dolcezza!"

"You're a jerk", she muttered, "life is not a story Damon!"

"That is correct! And I am not Rhett Butler my dear, so you should remember that"

His eyes were fierce as he looked at her, "We're all playing a part here dolcezza, it's time you started making an effort!" he bit out harshly before leaning down and taking her lips in a searing kiss. Elena could hear people clapping around them but she didn't care, the only thing in her mind at the moment was how amazing his lips felt against hers and how dirty that made her feel.

As the night approached its miserable end and goodbyes were made, Elena clutched her mother's frame tightly, not wanting to let go. Bonnie whispered sweet words and promises, telling her everything was going to be okay and Jeremy held her so strongly she thought she might break.

"If he ever hurts you I will end him!" he whispered in her ear before letting her go. Elena wanted to believe him but knew that in the end that would only lead to more blood being spilled.

The last one saying goodbye was her father, he hugged her and kissed her forehead. When he told her she was his princess, Elena wanted nothing more than to be that gullible girl once again, the one who believed every word that came out of her father's mouth.

She stood impassively in the massive and sinfully luxurious suite where she was going to spend her wedding night. The fabric of her wedding dress felt too tight against her skin as she watched the twinkling nights of Chicago's nightlife from the window. Her fingers that had been twisting into knots nervously, started to shake when she heard the door open, signaling that her husband had walked in.

The strong masculine smell of his cologne filled her nostrils as she felt him standing behind her, "Beautiful isn't it?" Elena felt herself unable to answer.

"But you are even more beautiful dolcezza" his voice was thick with desire and it thrilled and scared her at the same time.

Elena couldn't deny that she was immensely attracted to Damon, that from the first time they had met she had felt a pull towards him, that he made her body light up with just his voice! But she couldn't forget the fact that he had forced this marriage upon her, that she wanted another man and that she had never been with anyone before. This was not the way she had pictured losing her virginity; that was another thing Damon was taking away from her.

She felt his breath caressing her neck as he moved her hair from the side and leaned down to place a burning kiss on her bare shoulders, "You have no idea how long I've waited for this, desired this!" Elena shut her eyes tightly as he trailed his nose all over the bared expanse of her neck, forcing her to tilt her head to the side. "Three years is an awfully long time Elena," he retreated slightly before his hand went to work on the back zipper of her dress.

The sound echoed in the whole room and she had to bite her lips to stop her teeth from chattering, she was shaking furiously.

"I've dreamed about you many times… of the moment, I will finally make you mine"

The dress pooled at her feet and her eyes filled with tears, as the reality of the situation weighed on her. She heard his ragged exhale and then his hands went to her waist and pulled her flush against his body, the white lacy body suit she was wearing didn't provide enough coverage and she could feel his rock-hard member digging into her lower back. "I will make you scream tonight dolcezza" he rasped out unevenly.

Tears started to fall from her eyes as he started kissing her shoulder again, his hand roaming down her neck and stopping to caress her breast. Then he paused, Elena felt the moment his entire body went stiff.

He gripped her hips more tightly and forced her to turn around, "You've got to be kidding me" he muttered when he saw her tear-stained cheeks. He took a deep breath and swept his fingers gently under her eyes, his eyes looked warmly at her for the briefest of seconds before he schooled his features back into the mask of hardness he always wore.

"I'm sorry" she whispered and then cringed at how weak and pathetic she sounded.

Damon released her and rubbed his hand down his face "Unbelievable", he muttered, "you do know how to ruin the mood" He saw the hurt look in her eyes but decided to ignore it. He was so mad he could kill someone, but not mad at her, mad at himself for putting her in this position. A war of emotions was brewing inside him and he didn't like that one bit.

"You're an asshole!" her bottom lip quivered and he felt like the worst scumbag in the whole world.

He put his mask into place and gave her an annoyed look, "That's what they say" he muttered. "Tell me are you thinking about that man? Is he the reason why you're like this?"

Her eyes went hard and she lifted her chin as she stared at him. "He doesn't have anything to do with this!" she bit out as she crossed her arms in front of her chest trying to cover herself but succeeding only in bringing more attention to those beautiful mounds, Damon had been expecting to have his mouth on tonight.

He leaned closer to her, "Then why? I know you want me Elena; I can see it in your eyes!"

"You forcing me into this marriage, doesn't that seem like a reason enough?"

He chuckled and gave her an arrogant look, "Did I put a gun to your head?"

"Don't insult my intelligence Damon!" she fired back.

He rolled his eyes at her, "Well I'm sorry princess; I just thought this is what husbands and wives did on their wedding nights and their honeymoons. Forgive me if I'm a little distressed at the thought of mine being the exception!"

Elena was getting angrier at the tone he used with her, he was so condescending and full of himself.

"Maybe if you had married someone that loved you, it could have been different!" she threw at him and immediately regretted her choice of words when she saw the way his eyes frosted over.

"I've never done this before Damon," she whispered looking down.

His eyes widened at her confession, "What?"

"I've never-"

"How is that possible? You're twenty-one!" he said as he looked her over. Elena was stunning, any man would turn himself into knots trying to please her and win her affections. How was it possible that she had remained untouched?

"So what?" she lifted her chin defiantly once again and he almost laughed at her. "Is there an expiration date or something?"

He shook his head, still too astonished to form any coherent thought, "But that man… I saw the way he looked at you!"

A blush covered her cheeks as she answered, "Nothing ever happened between us. I'm a virgin Damon"

He looked at her unable to believe what she was saying, "Well I'll be damned!" he muttered before turning around. He could feel himself getting painfully hard just thinking about her being a virgin. She would be his, completely his and no one else's and that thought filled him with a predatory thrill and a throbbing arousal. At this rate he was going to end the night with a severe case of blue balls.

Elena eyed him warily as he took his coat that had been resting on the bed and headed to the door, "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm leaving!" he answered without even turning around.

She frowned and moved a few steps closer to him, "Just like that. You're going to let this one go?" her voice was filled with doubt. He had come fully prepared to take her and now he was walking away so easily.

He faced her once again, "Despite what you may think of me Elena, I am no rapist. If I take a woman to bed she must be willing," he gritted out.

"Where are you going?" she asked once he turned around and opened the door.

"To find some warm and willing body", he smirked at her, knowing fully well how much of an asshole he was being, "it's my wedding night after all and I don't intend to spend it alone."

She gasped at his cruelty and hurt clouded her eyes, he almost regretted his words, but the truth was that he was too wired right now, and it would be better for both of them, if he backed away.

"Maybe your sister would like to keep me company"

He knew he hit a nerve with the mention of her sister and as he saw the rage take over her face he felt a sick thrill run through his body because of it.

"You disgust me!" she spat out as she tried to cover her body as much as she could with her hands.

Damon chuckled and walked out of the door, "See you tomorrow!"

"I hate you!" she yelled and walked to the door as he was closing it.

He shut it and Elena could hear him locking it from the outside.

"Sleep well Scarlet!" his arrogant voice said. She rattled the doorknob angrily, but to no avail, because the bastard had trapped her inside the room.

She pounded the door with her fist, not caring if he was still out there or if he had left. "I hate you!" she yelled, "I hate you!"

She let herself fall to floor and sobbed uncontrollably. Her body too exposed, her heart too ragged, her mind too fuzzy. The world was closing in on her; everything she ever dreamed off, had been crushed tonight and she had no idea how to deal with the splinters of her broken hopes and desires. Her body was lying on the cold floor while her husband was probably lying in another woman's warm bed.

"I hate him" was her last thought before the blissful darkness of sleep overtook her.

* * *

 **Review?**


	6. We must pity the Opera ghost

**Hey there!**

 **I can feel all of your anger seeping out of my computer; Damon's an ass isn't he? But like I mentioned what is a story without character development?**

 **I'm so glad you're all liking this story, your response and passion about it has been overwhelming. I really hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

 **Thanks to Amber who is going overboard with this beta thing, she's amazing.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"He had a heart that could have held the entire empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar. Ah, yes, we must need pity the Opera ghost..."

 **-Gaston Leroux-**

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.

Elena woke the next day with an aching body, dark circles under her eyes, a bloated and blotched face from nonstop crying. Last night after an arduous bout of cursing, crying and throwing things around, exhaustion had finally taken over and she had fallen into a restless sleep.

Lying in the plush hotel bed, she looked up at the tall ceiling and wondered why God was punishing her like this. For which crimes was she paying the enormous price of marrying a ruthless man like Damon Salvatore.

A part of her felt grateful to him for surrendering yesterday, she knew that any other man would have taken what he wanted without caring for her at all. But another part of her resented him for embarrassing her; for going away to someone else's bed, in order to satisfy his cravings. All said and done he was still her husband after all.

Elena closed her eyes once again, trying to shut off her jumbled thoughts and go back to sleep, unsuccessfully. After a few minutes she realized it was impossible and decided to put on her big girl pants and start the day. She was flying back with Damon and his family to New York in a few hours, and as much as she hated the idea, there was nothing she could do about it.

She took a long shower and dressed herself in a pair of black capris, a green silk blouse and emerald green ballerina flats. Her hair was styled in loose waves from the night before and she applied only a coat of mascara and lip balm before leaving the room.

She went to the restaurant where she expected to have a quiet and calm breakfast but knew that would be impossible when she saw her soon-to-be, sister-in-law sitting alone. Caroline waved at her and Elena couldn't ignore her, after all, her mother had spent twenty-one years teaching her manners and how to be a proper lady.

"Good morning Elena!" the blonde said warmly the minute Elena sat down. She could see the apologetic way Caroline was staring at her which only served to make her feel more embarrassed at her current situation.

"Morning Caroline!" Elena whispered and was grateful when the waiter arrived to take their order. She asked for Greek yogurt with fruit, a piece of toast and orange juice since she wasn't sure she could stomach anything more at the moment.

"Elena, I truly want us to be friends," the blonde said once the waiter had retired from their table. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that this is happening. I told Damon this was the worst idea he has ever had."

Elena quirked an eyebrow at her, "Really?"

"Yes, of course. But once that man has his mind set on something there's nothing that can stop him," the pretty blonde said while looking down.

"I'm really sorry for everything he's putting you through."

"Yeah well I'm sorry too!" Elena bit out harshly. "The last thing I wanted was to get married at twenty-one to a man I don't love and have him spend our wedding night bedding God knows who. And then to be stuck with him and his family the next day on the flight back to someplace where I don't know anyone," she said agitatedly.

Once she finished her speech she saw the blonde looking at her with her mouth wide open. "Okay!" Caroline leaned forward and placed both hands on the table. "The wedding thing was awful, we're in the twenty first century and I don't know why Damon thought it was a good idea to do this!" She looked at Elena intently, "I know that it must be hard to leave the place you know and all your friends but I could be your friend too Elena." Her eyes softened while looking at her and Elena felt a bit of remorse for the way she had treated her lately.

"You don't have to be alone there, the transition is going to be hard, you're going to need as much as support as you can get!"

Elena stared at her and nodded without saying a word, she guessed in a way Caroline was right.

"And Damon wasn't bedding anyone last night!"

Elena laughed drily and rolled her eyes, "You almost got me, Caroline but now I know you only want to defend him."

"What? No!", she looked surprised, "I swear Elena." The chirpy blonde made a cross sign over her heart and Elena couldn't help but smile at it. "Damon crashed in our suite and proceeded to get hammered with Stefan, then those two idiots fell asleep on the balcony floor!"

Elena narrowed her eyes in suspicion while looking at her.

"Why would I lie to you? You already hate Damon. I swear, I could barely get any sleep because of their stupid antics, which is why I'm having a large one today!" she gestured towards the huge cup of coffee in front of her.

The waiter arrived with the food and as he placed it on the table Elena mulled over what the golden-haired girl had said. Should she believe her? Caroline seemed to be a genuinely nice person and Elena had really liked her before she knew about her relation to Damon. Most importantly did it matter? Did it make a difference that Damon hadn't cheated on her last night?

Yes, it mattered.

"Do you believe me?" Caroline asked sincerely.

"Yes Caroline, I believe you!"

The blonde smiled briefly before digging into her food. Elena watched her eat with disbelief, her plate was filled with eggs, pancakes and sausages, she wondered how she could still be as skinny as she was.

They continued their breakfast talking nonsense; clothes, their love for silly reality shows, books and they even managed to bond over their mutual hatred for Elena's sister, Katherine. The morning seemed promising but the mood dampened considerably when Caroline's phone rang informing her it was time to start packing. She gave Elena a sad look, telling her it was better if she headed back to her suite.

"He's not that bad Elena," Caroline told her as they walked together towards the elevator. "I know what he did was wrong and I would never excuse him for it but you don't know him the way I do, there's good in him."

Elena nodded and remained silent for the rest of the way. She mused on her words for a long time but she couldn't find any valid reason to believe them. Damon Salvatore had brought nothing but chaos and pain with him since the moment he had walked into her life.

Almost as if she had invoked him, he walked into the room, looking as fresh as a daisy. He was wearing a deep blue polo shirt and a pair of jeans, looking like he had walked straight out of a Ralph Lauren ad and Elena hated him for it.

"Don't you look wonderful today, wifey!" he said looking her up and down. She ignored him and continued packing her personal items into the suitcase.

"Nothing to say Scarlet?"

"Stop calling me that!" she muttered.

"Oh, she speaks!" he mocked her and strode languidly towards her until he was standing right behind her, the heat of his body enveloping her as his warm breath singed her ear. "Did you sleep well my darling?"

"No better than you I assume," she snapped, wanting to know how he'd answer.

"Does it bother you?", he said huskily as his arms sneaked around her slender frame and pulled her flush to him. "'To think I was balls deep in someone else last night?"

She registered the words but couldn't pay any attention as he had tilted her head to the side and was currently running his nose up and down her neck as if he was trying to inhale her very essence. "Tell me Elena", he whispered deeply.

"I hate you!" she answered passionately and felt his grip on her get stronger.

"Love and hate are not a far stretch from one another, I have told you that already." His hands moved until his fingers were playing with the buttons on her jeans, "I wasn't with anyone last night Elena and I won't touch anyone else until you give yourself to me darling." She hated the part of her that felt relief at his words.

"And you **will** beg… you'll plead for me and then I'll give you everything I've been holding on to," he spun her around so quickly, Elena could barely react before his mouth was devouring hers. His hands slid around her waist and curved her body flush to his and he kissed her like he was a starving man and her mouth was the only thing that could assuage his hunger. She drowned in the incredible feel of his soft lips against hers, his tongue discovering every nook and cranny of her mouth, tracing its soft and luscious contours. Her heart pounded in her chest erratically as she lost herself in the wet sounds of their kisses and on the blazing feel of his hands as they roamed around her bare back and gripped her ass cheeks.

He grinded against her relentlessly and her eyes rolled at the back of her head, and she couldn't stop her moan at the feel of his erection against the softest parts of her, "Damon…" she whimpered in complete bliss, her core vibrating with need, and felt him smirking next to her mouth.

Elena felt like her body was on fire, she could feel every nerve-ending, ablaze with need and desire, the touch of his smoldering mouth scorching her hot skin. She was floating again in a cloud of lust and nothing else mattered, as she threaded her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. He growled in pleasure, his hands gripping her hips and he pulled away slightly with her lower lip still between his lips.

"So sweet" he whispered and she could feel the tangy taste of blood on her tongue, the bastard had bitten her but before she could say anything, he pulled his tongue out and licked the injured lip, tasting her blood on his tongue. That gesture drove Elena wild with need, she had no idea what came over her but the sheer carnality of the act made the dampness between her legs grow and she chased his tongue with her own, fusing their mouths again in a passionate kiss.

A knock on the door interrupted their lustful haze, their lips broke apart and their foreheads rested against each other as they tried to control their breathing. His hands were digging into her hips and she was sure she would have bruises on her skin tomorrow.

The door was knocked on once again; this time more forcefully, "Damon the car is waiting for us downstairs", Stefan's voice said from the other side of the door.

" _Cazzo_!" Damon muttered under his breath as he released Elena from his grasp. "We'll meet you downstairs in a minute!" he shouted in the direction of the door before turning his attention back to Elena. "You got everything?"

Her cheeks were still flushed and her lips swollen, Damon swore he never saw anything more beautiful than her, in that moment.

"Yes, I'll just have to zip this up," she averted her gaze and turned to close the handbag she had been preparing before he arrived.

"Is this all you're bringing?" he asked while gesturing to the pink Chloe suitcase in the corner of the room and the handbag that was currently resting on her arm.

"Yes, my mom… she's sending all other things straight to New York," she answered looking anywhere but him. It was going to be so strange seeing all of her things in Damon's house, all the things she had from her previous life, the life where she had been happy.

He nodded and grabbed her suitcase and his own. "Let's go then," he gestured for her to walk out first and then followed her.

* * *

She was curled on the seat in a position that couldn't be very comfortable, but he couldn't bring himself to wake her up. Dark circles bruised the soft skin under her eyes and he knew he was the reason they were there, because he had turned her life upside down. The least he could do was let her sleep.

She was wrapped in a warm, fluffy, cream blanket and looked so angelic; her long lashes fanning her cheeks and her mouth partly open. They were flying in the family's private plane and he was currently sitting across from her, watching her sleep throughout the trip; her eyes had closed the minute her body landed on the seat.

Damon had never been a man to care about feelings. He had been trained since a very young age to view feelings as nothing but an unwanted obstacle on the road to success. Love was only a weakness; his father had imparted that lesson to him repeatedly. He taught him that lesson when he made him gut out his favorite dog, who in a moment of fear had bitten Stefan, he taught him that lesson when he struck his mother and broke Damon's arm when he tried to intervene, he taught him that lesson the first time he made him kill a man.

Albeit the man he had killed was a criminal, who had raped the daughter of one of the men in La Famiglia. Giuseppe had thought it was going to be the perfect introduction into 'manhood' for Damon. He was fourteen at the time and he had been shaking like a leaf the entire time, as his fingers pulled the trigger tears had been streaming down his face. Damon cried the entire night after that, but that was the last time he ever shed a tear. Sometimes, even now when he closed his eyes, he could see that man's face and hear his father screaming at him to shoot.

Violence and bloodshed were a part of their lives, Giuseppe had thrived on them, but Damon did not. His people still respected him because they knew that even though Damon didn't share Giuseppe's bloodlust, he would stop at nothing when it came to protecting his people. He was their Boss and everyone knew better than to mess with the Boss's family.

And now Damon had brought this heavenly creature into his hellish world of violence and blood. In moments when he let his humanity resurface and his conscience speak to him, he cursed himself for chaining this innocent girl to him, because he was a monster and there was no doubt he was going to destroy her. He was not capable of love, his life choices had turned him into a coldhearted machine and he was going to tear her apart. In those brutally honest and unselfish moments he wanted to free her from captivity but then the darkness resurfaced. The monster that lived inside of him wanted to claim her and Damon had lost the battle to that part of himself a long time ago.

She had called to him since the first time he had laid eyes on her, her body had sung to him and his need to know her became obsessive. He never truly disappeared from her life, on more than one occasion he flew to Chicago and watched her from afar. He loved to see how her eyes shone when her lips turned up in an endearing smile, how she seemed to float around on a cloud of happiness, how everyone around her revivified when she talked. Elena was pure sunshine. She gave him peace, it was something he couldn't explain and didn't want to dwell on too much. When he stared at her he felt at ease, like she could keep all of his monsters at bay with the power of her warm gaze. Damon was a selfish man and he wanted the calm she could provide him even if it ended up breaking her.

And above all he wanted her to love him! Damon didn't know much about love or had ever experienced it but he needed her to love him so much that it consumed her. He was never letting her go even if it ended up destroying both of them. And he knew he would destroy her, because he was darkness and nothing as bright and beautiful as her could live long surrounded by darkness without withering away.

Elena opened her eyes and found Damon staring at her, traces of sleep still clinging to her and she had to blink a few times to convince herself he was indeed looking at her. Their foreheads were almost touching and as consciousness came flooding back she realized they were in the back of a car and that she was nestled in his lap.

"What-where are we?" her voice sounded slightly panicked as she tried to remove herself from his lap.

His grip on her tightened making it impossible for her to put distance between their bodies.

"You sleep like a log Scarlet, I had to carry you out of the plane myself," his mouth twitched in a smile.

"I- You should have woken me up!"

"But you looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you," he answered and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from retorting that if he didn't want to disturb her he would have let her stay, safe and sound, in Chicago.

"We're almost home!" he said.

Home! This was not home for Elena Gilbert; this place would never be home for her no matter however much he tried.

The 'house', more like a country estate was massive; a 12,000 square-foot manor. It was two stories in height and the walls were made of bricks arranged in irregular patterns accentuated with timber and stucco. The slated roof created interesting patterns as the various planes intersected and the eyelid dormers added much to the feeling of a fairy tale cottage. Several chimneys with ornamental chimney pots rose from the enormous roof. Double hung, diamond-shaped, wrought-iron casements with ivy climbing on them dotted the walls and triangular cutouts made the house look like a cross between something straight out of a movie set in Tudor England and Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house. A large porte-cochere protruded from the center with several doors leading onto porches or terraces. The magnificent residence was very different from the kind of place she had imagined Damon Salvatore and his family living in. Elena felt a hole in her stomach as she crossed the wide doors and stepped into the place where she was going to be living from now on. Who would have thought a month ago that her life was going to take such a drastic turn?

"They will take care of your things," Damon's voice brought her back to reality, as he motioned to a pair of boys who were retrieving their suitcases from the car. Stefan and Caroline hadn't arrived yet and Elena regretted not having the cheerful blonde at her side.

"I would give you a tour of the property but it seems you're very tired."

Elena nodded not knowing what else to do, he was right, she suddenly felt insanely tired and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and wake up in her old house in Chicago.

Damon led her up the stairs and into one of the most secluded bedrooms at the end of the hallway. "This is the only room habitable in this wing of the house," he explained as he opened the door and revealed a spectacular bedroom that looked like it belonged in the pages of an architecture magazine. The first thing that struck Elena's eyes was the massive four-poster bed, it was the biggest bed she had ever seen, it was literally as if two king-sized beds had been spliced together. The room was very masculine and classy, the words minimal but opulent, understated but sexy sprang to mind. There was a marked absence of pictures or other personal knick knacks portraying Damon's lack of sentimentality. "Welcome home darling"

Elena stared at the majestic room, dumbstruck for a few seconds before her brain snapped back to reality. "What? You are staying here with me?"

Damon chuckled as he hugged her to him and walked further into the room. "This is my bedroom Elena and you are my wife, therefore this is where we'll be sleeping. Together!" he said with finality.

She pulled away from his embrace and faced him with angry eyes, the energy she had lost during the flight returning to her in an instant. "Then give me another room, there are plenty of those here."

"No!" he shook his head and crossed his arms across his chest, staring at her with a smirk on his lips.

Elena took a deep breath trying to control her anger, "I won't sleep with you, Damon."

He chuckled, "Don't worry Scarlet I won't touch you until you beg me to." He moved closer to her and took a strand of her hair between his fingers. "But you and I will be sharing this bedroom and that's not up for discussion."

"You are crazy if...", he placed a finger on her lips to interrupt her and leaned down until their foreheads were almost touching.

"I think sometimes you forget who you're talking to," the arctic blue of his eyes turned frosty and in that moment Elena understood the reason for his nickname – 'The Ice man'. There was nothing but coldness in his stare, "You will do as I say Elena!"

He removed his fingers and placed a forceful kiss on her lips before walking away and shutting the door behind him.

Elena collapsed on the bed, her body shivering and eyes filling up with tears. She felt exhausted despite the fact that she had spent the last hour sleeping. There was no doubt she was in hell and the sooner she accepted the fact the better.

Damon Salvatore had dragged her straight into hell.

* * *

 **Yeap, you still hate him right?**


	7. The darkness of the music of the night

**I really enjoyed writing this one so I hope you like it, you have no idea how much I love reading your reviews and seeing you are so passionate about this story so please keep them coming.**

 **Thanks a lot to Amber for being the beta for this story; she's doing an amazing job.**

 **Enjoy and have a great weekend!**

* * *

"You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself. If you loved me I should be as gentle as a lamb; and you could do anything with me that you pleased."

 **-Gaston Leroux-**

 **.**

 **.**

Elena's first week in New York was a complete nightmare. Her fears of sharing a room with Damon were put to rest rather anticlimactically, as only a few hours after their arrival 'home', he taken off with Stefan to fix some business and she hadn't seen him since. Caroline was nowhere to be found either and Damon's indisposed mother, Lillian Salvatore, was always confined to her bedroom which was on the other side of the house. Therefore, Elena was incredibly bored and felt so lonely that she spoke with Bonnie almost every day and couldn't wait for the brunette to visit her soon, as promised.

Not only was Elena forced to leave her family behind but she had to quit school as well, with only a year left for graduation. She had rearranged all her classes to be online, so she ended up having no human contact at all, which was slowly driving her crazy. The only person in the entire household with whom she could have any conversation at all was the lovely cook Mrs. Flowers, but she could hardly install herself in the kitchen as a permanent fixture and get in her way while she was working.

Elena was sunbathing on one of the chairs in the stunning backyard poolside, scrolling idly through her phone. The entire state was exceptionally picturesque in its peaceful serenity but she could hardly enjoy its lush beauty, without someone by her side. She sometimes wondered if she would have preferred to have Damon there or whether it was better this way; because although she was undoubtedly attracted to her husband she was also extremely terrified of him.

A sing-song voice made Elena lift her head from her phone, to see a little girl with sandy blonde hair and green eyes spinning around in the garden. She was wearing a pink tutu and her cheeks were rosy from the sun.

"Hey, that's a beautiful tutu!" Elena said sitting up and throwing a beach wrap on top of her blue bikini. "What's your name?" she asked as the pint-sized girl approached her. She had been here for a week and hadn't see any sign of a child living in the house.

"I am Maytana!" the girl grinned and Elena could see the cute gap left by two missing front teeth. "What is your name?"

"I am Elena" she extended her hand and the little girl took it softly. "Do you live here Maytana?"

The girl released her hand and nodded enthusiastically, twirling around adorably in front of her. "Back there," she said pointing to a series of little apartments where the staff lived. "With my grandma!"

"And who is your grandma?"

"She is…"

"Maytana!" Elena heard Mrs. Flowers shout out and turned her head to see the elderly woman walking hurriedly towards them with a worried frown on her face. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Salvatore, she sneaks away sometimes."

Elena tried to ignore the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach when she heard herself being referred to as 'Mrs. Salvatore', she still was getting used to it. "Don't worry about it" she dismissed the woman's worries. "We were just getting to know each other!"

"Elena says my tutu is pretty," the cheerful girl said with a big smile as she bowed in front of her in a graceful curtsy. Elena laughed softly, delighted at the darling bundle of energy and her endearing personality. "Mr. Damon got it for me", she said proudly, "like my shoes", she lifted her sparkly ballerina flats for Elena to see.

Elena stared at the girl, dumbstruck for a moment, before clearing her throat, "they are very beautiful. Mr. Damon must be very kind."

The little girl nodded eagerly. Truth be told Elena was astounded to hear of Damon's sweet generosity as she had yet to see that side of him herself.

"Maytana why don't you go and let Mary know I'll be there in a second," Mrs. Flowers said to her granddaughter, and the girl nodded before turning to Elena.

"Nice to meet you Miss Elena!"

"Nice to meet you too Maytana!"

Elena watched with a smile as the little girl skipped away merrily, glad that perhaps there was someone whom she could spend her days with, after all. Although she wondered wryly what it said about her life that the only companion she could find was a little girl.

"How old is she?" Elena asked.

"Six," Mrs. Flowers twisted the edges of the apron with her fingers. "Her mother died while giving birth to her. She was my daughter"

Elena nodded and stared at the dejected looking woman in sympathy, "I'm sorry"

"Thank you"

"And her father?" Elena asked a bit fearfully; the idea of this girl being her husband's child had crossed her mind briefly and she didn't want to dwell on how that made her feel.

"Died a couple of years ago too, he worked for Mr. Damon."

"Oh" Elena whispered not knowing what else to say. Death and violence were after all the only thing they could expect from this brutal life they lived. "So it's just you and her now?"

"We have no one else," the elderly woman answered in a voice infused with sadness.

"And… didn't it ever occur to you… to not let her grow up in this atmosphere?" Elena asked with genuine curiosity. She knew that for herself there had been no other option, but why was Mrs. Flowers knowingly exposing her granddaughter to this life, why was she choosing to stay with criminals rather than walking away.

"Where else would we go?" she looked at Elena with compassion. "I've been here since I was born, I watched those two boys grow into men. My mother worked here before me. We've served the Salvatores forever, they are our family. They protect us."

Elena nodded while looking down; it was insane how loyal people were to this family. She wondered briefly if people were as loyal to her father or if it was something only the Salvatores could achieve.

"He's not a bad man Miss!" Mrs. Flowers said surprising her. Elena stared at her not knowing what to say. "I'll be heading back now," she motioned to the kitchen. "And again sorry for Maytana, she tends to wander around!"

Elena shook her head with a laugh as she settled down on her chair once again, "I don't mind. It'll be nice to have some company."

Mrs. Flowers nodded sadly before walking away and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

It made her unhappy to know that someone as pure and kind as that little girl would be subjected to growing up in this ruthless world, filled with darkness and violence, left with no choice but to accept her fate helplessly just as Elena had to.

Then her mind wandered to her husband; Damon was an enigma, a mystery she had yet to fathom. He was a contradiction; she knew there was darkness inside him, she had seen it herself, yet there was also something else. It was that something which made people close to him respect and defend him; it was that something which made him walk away from her bedroom on their wedding night, and it was that something she saw in his eyes on those occasions he stared at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She now had to figure out what that something was!

And it was a glimpse of that _very_ something she observed on the afternoon Damon arrived from his trip. She was lounging lazily on the window seat of their bedroom when she saw him in the garden, lifting and twirling a giggling Maytana high in the air. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight; in that carefree moment he was not the ruthless Damon Salvatore she had come to know, but a man she was clueless about.

And when his sparkling blue eyes lifted and caught hers across the window she saw only warmness in them; a warmth that she had not experienced before. His upper lip tipped in a half-smile and she had to step away from the window as her pulse raced at the sheer intensity and power of the experience. Her heart was hammering a mile a minute as she sat on the bed trying to make sense of the man that was Damon Salvatore.

Nighttime arrived, but Elena remained locked in the bedroom completely alone, until Damon walked in and asked her to go out with him. Her first impulse was to deny him but then she remembered the tender look on his face when Maytana was in his arms, and found herself agreeing to go with him. Elena had always loved a mystery and right now nothing intrigued her more than her own husband.

She expected him to take her to one of the many extravagant restaurants owned by his family, but he surprised her by taking her to his favorite place in the entire city; an unassuming little eatery which actually didn't belong to him.

The place was small and very rustic, a simple sign that read _pizzeria_ adorned the entrance, a warm light came from the interior and Elena inhaled the delicious aroma of the cheese wafting outside.

"Are you sure this is safe?" she said looking around; the tiny restaurant was in a dark and very secluded part of the city.

Damon chuckled as he held her hand; she did not stop him or let go of his hand. It made her feel safe.

"Trust me no one is going to mess with us!" he answered as he led her through the threshold of the restaurant.

Small, square tables covered with red and white checkered tablecloths dotted the place; noise and bustle filled her ears as waiters walked to and fro at a frenetic speed.

"Best pizza in town!" he murmured as he led her to one of the free tables at the back. He nodded and greeted several people as they walked towards their table. He was probably a regular here, Elena thought to herself. Even though in the beginning she had found it odd that he had chosen to bring her here, she was grateful now; as she much preferred this charming place to his fancy restaurants.

"I think you were supposed to say the food they serve in your restaurants is the best in town!" she said once they were seated and a waiter had handed them a menu.

"That would be a lie!" he smirked at her from across the table. "This place is owned by Enzo's family; you have met him."

Elena nodded, how could she forget the man who had been her shadow for over a week.

"His mother is from Sicilia and makes the most delicious pizza. No matter how hard I've begged she refuses to give me the recipe." His expression was almost childlike and Elena was amazed to be witnessing this new side of Damon today.

"Do you want to try anything special?" he asked as her eyes scanned the menu.

"I think you should pick, since I've never been here. I'll trust your choices," she answered and watched his face brighten up at her response, although it was almost imperceptible she had still seen it.

"Wine?" he asked and she nodded her assent. She figured if she was going to spend a whole night with her husband she might as well imbibe some alcohol.

Damon called the waiter and ordered a bottle of Giacomo Conterno Monfortino and a Quatro Stagioni pizza. "You are going to die when you try it; I swear it feels like soft clouds in your mouth!"

Elena smiled, "I don't know how clouds feel in my mouth…"

"You'll know tonight!" he smiled back at her and a warm feeling spread in her stomach. Elena was letting her guard down tonight and something was telling her he was doing the same thing.

The waiter placed a plate filled with prosciutto, salami, mortadella, olives and several types of cheeses garnished with a few springs of parsley and dried tomatoes on the table. Damon motioned for her to start and since she was famished, she took a piece of parmigiano-raggiano in her mouth, moaning softly as the flavors hit her taste buds and saw his eye darken at the sound. "This is so good!" she said as she took another piece. "You should try it!" she gestured to the plate as her upper lip curved in a flirtatious smile.

He took a bite of prosciutto, and Elena unconsciously licked her lips as he caught the food between his teeth, his mouth moving sensually. The man made even the mere act of eating look sexy.

"Tell me about yourself" he said and she had to blink a few times to understand his words, since she had been mesmerized by the movement of his lips while he ate.

"What?" she stuttered.

"I realize we started on the wrong foot", he said sheepishly, "I want to know more about you"

Elena stared at him for a few seconds without answering, and just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, the waiter arrived with their bottle of wine. Damon took the bottle and poured the glasses himself as the waiter retired. Elena had never tried that particular wine and when the liquid hit her tongue she wanted to moan in pure pleasure.

"Like clouds?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Elena took another sip and felt the sheer silken texture dissolve in her mouth. "This is what clouds must feel like!" she exclaimed. When her eyes opened she saw him staring at her with a huge grin and she suddenly felt robbed of breath at how breathtakingly beautiful he was.

Damon was a man that should be smiling all the time.

"You" she cleared her throat and stared directly into his eyes. "I want to know about you"

Damon nodded thoughtfully, "Fair enough." He took another sip of his wine and placed the glass back on the table, Elena was still clutching hers tightly. "I am thirty-two, I have a major in corporative business management. I spent thirteen years living in Italy and still like to go there frequently, my favorite part of Italy is Cinque Terre and I speak five languages fluently!"

"Five?" Elena asked with wide eyes. Both Katherine and Jeremy could speak English and Italian but she was ashamed to admit she had never learned.

He nodded, "English, Italian, French, Spanish and Russian."

"Damn, you must be one hell of a student!"

His eyes darkened as he looked into her eyes deeply and said softly, "I like to think of myself as persevering." She felt a shiver run down her spine at his velvety voice and was grateful when the waiter appeared with their pizza.

One bite and Elena was a goner. Damon had been absolutely right about the pizza and she decided in that moment that this was her favorite place in the city too. The mozzarella was so rich, the peppers were heavenly and the mix of salami, artichokes and mushrooms felt like an explosion to her taste buds.

"I am never eating pizza anywhere else!" she proclaimed after finishing her second slice.

The night moved along smoothly and as the wine flowed freely between them, Elena started to feel more and more relaxed. She had never imagined being with Damon could be so easy and effortless; he was showing her a side of himself she hadn't seen before, and she was finding she rather liked and enjoyed this unexpected version of him.

As the food and the wine subsided, and their inhibitions lessened, they moved onto more serious subjects like the deal he had struck with her father to make her his wife.

"He wanted protection and power, and I gave it to him." He answered nonchalantly as he picked the remaining olive on his plate.

"But why?" she asked. "He could have given you anything you wanted. Hell, Katherine was probably a better option for this than me!"

He gazed at her with such fierce intent, she feared he was going to burn a hole in her face, "I wanted you!" he said simply, his voice thick with emotion and filled with darkness.

"But why Damon? Why were you so drawn to me? What did I do to attract you like that?" she asked with genuine interest. She had been racking her brain for days trying to figure out what he had seen in her that had made him want her so vehemently.

"You did nothing" he murmured softly, and she wondered if it was the wine or the topic of their conversation. "There's something about you, you are light"

"Light?"

"I need light so much!" His expression was almost sad and she felt as if her heart was being squeezed in her chest cavity.

"Do you enjoy it?", she asked and he raised an eyebrow at her question, "this life…"

"I do" he nodded while reaching for his glass. "I like having the power"

"But do you enjoy the violence?"

"I think some sick part of me does," He answered truthfully before taking a big gulp of his wine. "I was born into this Elena, it's who I am."

"I don't think it's all you are," she leaned her elbows on the table and stared at him. She saw his jaw clenching and wondered if perhaps she had gone too far with her comment.

"But it is. I was groomed for this since the moment I was born. I was the elder Salvatore; there was never a way out for me." He downed the contents of his glass and reached for the bottle to pour himself more. "This is La famiglia, Elena, nothing is more important than that"

Elena nodded, knowing what he was referring too. The business was always going to come first no matter what. After all that was the reason she was married him, not because her father feared for their lives but because he knew that it was the best option for his business.

"Do you feel that way?" she asked quietly.

"Pardon me?"

Elena reached for the bottle and poured more wine in her glass. If she was going to continue with this conversation she would need liquid courage and she might as well be fully drunk. "My dad gave me to you because it fit him and his business, would you do that? _La cosa nostra_ is also your priority?"

Damon seemed to mull over her words for a few minutes, his mouth opening and shutting as he searched for the correct answer to give her, "My business is a priority but I would never choose it over Stefan!"

Elena nodded in understanding; both relief and sadness washing over her. Relief because maybe there was something to be saved in Damon after all and sadness because she understood that whatever he felt was reserved for his brother and not what he felt for her. She didn't think he would choose her over business, her father hadn't.

"I will protect you Elena" his voice was deep as he spoke. Her eyes snapped back to his and what she saw in them disarmed her. "You are my family now, you're a Salvatore and I will protect you." It was as if he had read her mind. Something warm and tingly started to make its way and spread inside her even as she fought it; because she knew if she allowed herself to open to him he would weasel his way in to never come out.

"Nevertheless you decided to hurt me," she whispered and watched him flinch at her words.

"It was never my intention!"

"And yet you seem unable to even ask for forgiveness!"

He looked taken aback at her comment and Elena knew it was the end of their night, she wasn't wrong. Damon stayed quiet and looked somber for a few minutes before signaling the waiter for the check. They stumbled unevenly out of the restaurant, both a little drunk and Damon was grateful that he had decided to come with his driver instead of driving himself.

Once inside the car he put the screen up so he and Elena would remain in privacy, the air was thick with the tension of unspoken words. She rested her head on the glass window as she watched the city pass by.

"I wanted to hurt you," he whispered and her head snapped up as she raised her bewildered eyes to meet his.

"Why?"

"Because I'm sick," his eyes looked tortured. "I wanted to break you and then I wanted to be the one that put you back together again"

Elena moved closer to him, the heady scent of his cologne filling her nostrils, "I don't understand."

He closed his eyes and slumped back on his seat, "I don't either."

"Your hurt me," Elena whispered.

"I know!"

His eyes snapped back open and he leaned forward, invading her personal space.

"But I want you..." she said huskily.

He nodded, "I know"

"Does that make me as sick as you?"

The corner of his lip curved in a sad smile, "You are light my love, pure light." He raised his hand and caressed her cheek softly, "You could never be like me."

"Then why can't I seem to turn my back to you?"

His head leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed together, their breaths mingling as he murmured in his intoxicating and velvety voice, "Because light complements darkness, one can't exist without the other."

"Damon…"

"Yes?"

"Kiss me"

He didn't waste a minute and latched his lips on to hers, her heart fluttered in her chest with the first touch of his mouth on hers. He was frantic as he kissed her, his hand fumbling around her clothes, tugging and scraping everywhere he could touch. Their tongues danced with each other, tracing and retracing the contours of the others mouth. Elena felt intoxicated, her desire for him was almost overwhelming, his scent filled her nostrils and the tingle between her legs kept growing with every touch of his lips. The slick dampness and the insistent throbbing in her core demanded his attention and she nudged her hips towards him seeking to create some friction.

Without knowing how she found herself lying on the seat with her legs parted as he ravished her mouth, the wet sounds of their tongues fighting against each other filling the cramped space of the backseat.

" _Baciami tesoro mio,_ " he murmured against her lips as his hand massaged her hips sensually, the hardest part of his body was in direct contact with the softest of hers and she couldn't help but rub against it shamelessly, trying to relief the aching need between her legs. He groaned hoarsely and she felt him grow even harder, his eyes wild with need and a fierce desire.

His mouth abandoned her lips and moved towards her neck, nipping and nuzzling her soft skin as his hands wandered towards her chest. Elena arched her back offering her body to him, her breasts felt full and heavy and she wanted nothing more than for him to touch them. Her body was screaming for the completion only he could give her.

Elena was in pure ecstasy as he worshiped her body, she felt like she was about to explode with need if he didn't move closer, she wanted to feel him everywhere.

" _Ferma perfavore!"_ he broke apart from her and she was left panting as he sat up and tried to fix his tousled hair.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

His lips tipped in a smirk and he gestured towards the window, "The car has stopped." Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I won't have you for the first time in the back of my car _dolcezza_." He leaned down and placed one last kiss on her swollen lips before offering his hand so she could sit up.

Elena fixed her appearance and they left the car in complete silence, no other words were uttered as they got ready for bed. As Elena was about to climb into bed he excused himself and went to see Stefan to talk about business.

Elena sighed as she threw the covers over her body, her little shorts and tank top felt too tight against her body, she was still incredibly horny and she knew now nothing but Damon would be able to relieve this burning need in her.

She stared at the celling as she contemplated how unexpectedly tonight had turned out; she had seen a different side of Damon and had allowed herself to open to him. She didn't know if it was the food or the wine but something had shifted between them and she wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

Elena didn't want to feel anything for him.

She was already drifting off to sleep when she heard the door of the bedroom open and heard him shuffling across the room. She tried to steady her heartbeat and kept her eyes closed, not wanting him to know that she was awake. Her skin tingled when he climbed into bed with her and her heart almost burst out of her chest when he moved around until he was spooning her, his arm placed firmly around her stomach.

" _Perdonami cara mia_!" he whispered against her neck. " _Perdonami_!"

He kissed her shoulder softly and nuzzled his face in her hair. Within minutes Elena felt his even breaths on her neck, he was fast asleep.

Although Elena had never learned to speak Italian fluently like her siblings, she knew enough to understand his words. She relaxed into his embrace and drifted away, tangled in a web of confusion that was Damon Salvatore.

.

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* * *

 _Dolcezza - sweetness_

 _La Cosa Nostra -_ " _This thing of ours" or "Our Thing". Used as a euphemism for the Italian mafia_

Baciami tesoro mio _– Kiss me my darling_

Ferma perfavore – stop please

 _Perdonami cara mia - forgive me my dear!_

* * *

 ** _Review?_**


	8. Who could ever learn to love a beast?

**Hey there!**

 **Oh my God you have no faith in Damon right? I think I am the only one rooting for him lol thanks so much for all your words, they make me so happy.**

 **Also thanks to Amber for being the beta for this story.**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"He fell into despair and lost all hope... for who could ever learn to love a beast?"

 **-Beauty and the beast-**

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Over the next two weeks after their date night, Damon and Elena developed a routine of sorts; every night they would eat dinner together while they talked about the things they liked to do or memories of their childhood. She discovered that his favorites books were, 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens and that his favorite TV show was 'Game of Thrones'. He learned that she loved scary movies and that her biggest dream was to have a fashion line of her own one day.

Things seemed to be changing and a certain tentative intimacy was developing between the two of them, which excited and terrified Elena at the same time. One part of her felt happy to discover her husband was not that terrible and that she actually liked spending time with him, but another part still felt a residual resentment at having a relationship thrust down upon her.

Wouldn't it have been easier if he had approached her the normal way? But she realized that if there was one thing Damon thrived on more than anything, it was power and control. He had to have everything on his own terms, whenever and however he wanted.

That morning Elena woke up to an empty bed; sharing her nights with him wasn't that bad anymore, even though she would never say it out loud she had grown used to sleeping and waking up next to him. Although there hadn't been any more passionate kisses or fervent touches since that night in the car, every night he slept curled around her in a tight embrace. It was as if her proximity and closeness gave him some peace of mind. He had briefly mentioned some issues regarding his business the previous night so she didn't find it surprising to find him gone.

She got up and took a shower before putting on a light blue summer dress and headed to the pool with her laptop and sketch book underneath her arm. She worked on some assignments for a little while until Maytana arrived and then she spent the rest of the morning playing with the little girl. After enjoying a delicious lunch with the precocious and thoroughly entertaining child, she retired to her bedroom and dialed Bonnie's number.

The huge workload of school assignments had prevented her from being able to speak with her best friend for a few days, and she really needed to hear her familiar voice.

"I promise I'll be visiting soon," Bonnie reassured her through the phone. "It's just that school has been hectic but I'll try to make it next week"

"Yes please, I'm dying of boredom here," Elena whined as she slumped on the massive, plush bed she shared with Damon.

"Isn't Caroline there as well? Why aren't you hanging out with her?"

Elena kicked her legs in the air, trying some of the new stretching moves she had been practicing with her blonde friend a few days ago, "She was here for a while but had to fly to Houston for God knows what!"

Elena knew that Caroline was more aware of the ways of the mafia world as compared to her and Bonnie. But she couldn't figure out the role of the bubbly blonde in the business especially since even her mother was fully involved in it, in fact she was an integral part of the gang.

"And what about Damon?" Bonnie asked quietly.

"What about him?" Elena answered faking a casual indifference.

Bonnie snorted and she could picture the exasperated look on her friend's face, "Oh come on Lena, give me something!" Elena chuckled at her words, "I don't think he's as bad as we thought he was going to be if I am not mistaking the excitement in your voice", Bonnie quizzed astutely.

Elena frowned, "There's no excitement in my voice!"

"You have called me thrice during last the two weeks and every single time there's been something in your voice, you sound lighter, like you're about to burst into a Disney song any minute!"

Elena couldn't help but giggle at her friend's words, "See?! You're doing it now!"

She tried to school her features into an impassive expression but that damn grin wasn't going away and even though they were only on the phone, Elena knew that Bonnie could tell. "I have no idea what you're talking about"

"Yeah right, keep deflecting," Bonnie muttered. "But I'm glad he's not as bad as we thought… that might soften the blow."

"What blow?"

"Okay I promised Jeremy not to tell you this until I could see you in person but I don't want to risk you hearing it from other people." Bonnie's voice had grown serious, "Elijah and Katherine are kind of a thing now!"

Elena sat upright so quickly she was surprised it didn't give her whiplash "What? What do you mean… a thing?"

Bonnie exhaled loudly, "They are a couple Elena, they're together."

Elena felt the breath hitch in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears. Over the last few days she had realized that whatever she had felt for Elijah was a mere infatuation. She was so hell bent on the idea of falling in love, that she had romanticized the whole thing in her head, but even so hearing Bonnie's words made her feel betrayed in ways she couldn't explain.

She knew it wasn't fair, she was married now and there was no reason why Elijah couldn't continue with his life, but Katherine? Her own blood? Elena knew that her sister was only doing this to get back at her because she thought Elena had stolen Damon on purpose.

"Elena?", Bonnie's soft voice coaxed a reply from her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine", she lied, "It's just a shock."

"She's bitch!" her friend said. "I swear every time I see her I just want to wipe that smug smile off her face"

Elena let out a sardonic laugh, "Yeah me too!"

They chit chatted for a while exchanging gossip and all sorts of other nonsense, until Bonnie excused herself because she had to finish a paper.

Elena remained in bed the rest of the afternoon, contemplating everything that had happened over the last few weeks. How much her life had changed and how different it was from everything she had dreamed it would be. The minutes trickled into hours and there was still no sign of Damon. When it became obvious that he wasn't arriving for their daily dinner, Elena hopped in the shower and cried angry tears as the water washed her skin.

She was mad because she was tired of feeling so impotent. All her life her family had made her feel like a doll, a pretty exhibit in a glass display whom everyone cooed and fanned over. She had loved it in the beginning, before she started realizing how lonely it was. She concluded that in a way Damon was doing the exact same thing, she was treated like a doll by him as well, taken out and then put back. The only thing different was that now she was in his glass window.

When she got out of the shower she changed into her pajamas and crawled underneath the sheets, it was almost midnight and the bed felt too cold and big without him. As the minutes trickled by, the insidious feelings kept rising, disrupting her peace and whispering malignly in her ear that everything that was wrong in her life was because of Damon. Just because he had decided he wanted her, he had uprooted her from her comfortable life – the life she had always wanted and dreamed of. But what was that life as happy as she thought it was? Or had she been looking at it through rose-colored glasses for too long?

He arrived way past midnight while she was still staring at the celling, unable to sleep. "Hey" he said when he realized she was still awake. He looked tired and weary and although the rational side of her brain told her she shouldn't provoke him she decided to ignore the warning.

"I thought you weren't coming," she exclaimed with hostility. He raised his eyes at her tone and stared at her while he went to his dresser and started taking things out.

"I had some delays, I'm not staying," he mumbled, not feeling in the mood to argue with her.

She sat up in the bed, the sheets pooling around her waist, "Where are you going?"

"Business" he muttered as he started throwing his things into a duffel bag

Elena watched him, blood boiling in her veins without her knowing why, "Really? That's all you're going to say?"

Damon exhaled heavily, "What do you want me to say Elena? You know I can't talk about these things with you." He was aware of how much like his father he sounded right now but decided to ignore it, he was too wired and didn't want to engage in something that would end up imploding between them.

Elena rolled her eyes, "Of course… I'm just one more doll in your collection."

"Stop it!" he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to control his temper because he didn't want to snap at her.

"But isn't that right Damon?" her words were venomous. "I'm a pretty thing to look at. That's the real reason I'm here!"

He zipped his bag with more strength than required, "You don't know what you're talking about Elena."

She flung the sheets away from her body and stomped off the bed, "I do know, I know you fucked up everything for me!" she shouted as she strode aggressively in front of him.

He chuckled darkly, "I did, didn't I dear Scarlet?" He gripped her shoulders with his hands, "Because now your boy toy is rolling around in your sister's sheets!"

Elena recoiled at his words, "How did you…"

Damon grinned wickedly, "I know everything _dolcezza._ " He leaned forward until their faces were inches apart, his hot breath fanning her skin. "I just wasn't sure you were aware."

"I am now!" Elena bit out.

"Good!" he nodded as the grip on her shoulder tightened further and all traces of the sweet Damon she had got to know the last few days disappeared.

Elena fought against his stronghold but to no avail, "Why do you have to be such an asshole?"

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?" He fired back.

Her nostrils flared as a blinding anger took complete control over her senses, "Go to hell Damon!" she screamed.

"You can be sure that's where I'm heading!" he replied scathingly.

Elena struggled against his grip once more, "Just get out!"

"Don't worry princess I'll be out of your hair in a second so you can go back to mourning the loss of your gallant Ashley!"

"Shut up!"

He pressed his mouth to her ear, "It really stings right? How quickly he got over you!"

"Stop it Damon!" Elena could feel angry tears forming in her eyes as she tried to break free of his tight grasp.

"He wasn't even worth it!" he bit out angrily. "And yet here you are, crying over him." His words were despaired ramblings and a deep sense of guilt started to form in the pit of her stomach. "What did he do to make you care about him so much? Tell me!"

"He did nothing!" she shouted as a few tears streamed down her face. It wasn't Elijah and Katherine that were making her cry, it was the result of the extreme emotional turmoil and upheaval of arguing so viciously with Damon.

His blue eyes found her teary eyed ones; they were tortured as they looked at her, "Then why? Why are you suffering for him while he's enjoying your sister and you don't give a damn about me!"

Elena stared at him completely out of breath, his words hitting something inside of her she didn't know how to handle, "I…"

He shook his head and released her, "Forget it!" He turned around and picked the duffel bag he had been preparing.

Elena watched him head to the door and wanted to say something, to go to him but the only words she was able to muster were, "Where are you going?"

He stopped, suddenly still by the door, "I'm going to hell… to kill some Russians." He walked out without sparing another glance in her direction.

Elena collapsed on the bed once again, feeling like utter crap and not having any idea as to why she felt so bad.

No matter how much she tossed and turned, after that bitter encounter, sleep seemed to have deserted her. She gave up around 3 am and headed to the kitchen to prepare some mint tea and maybe eat a snack, since she didn't think there was a chance in hell that she would fall asleep anytime soon.

She was very surprised to find Caroline sitting in a brightly lit kitchen, "I didn't know you were here," Elena said softly, startling the pensive blonde.

"Yeah, I arrived with Stefan earlier in the night. You were in your room," Caroline answered as Elena prepared the kettle and took out the box containing her favorite tea. Mrs. Flowers had shown her where everything was in the kitchen and informed her that Damon had ordered a stack of that tea a few days before they got married.

"Is Stefan with Damon?" Elena sat on the wooden table with Caroline while the kettle boiled on the stove.

"Yes!" The blonde swirled her spoon around a bowl filled with yogurt and blueberries.

Elena shifted uncomfortably, "Do you know where they are?"

The usually chirpy blonde seemed quiet today as she nodded and cast her eyes down, "Don't ask questions if you don't want to know the answers"

"How do you know I don't want to know?"

"This isn't your life Elena, yes you were born in the _cosa nostra_ but you have never had to actually acknowledge the things they do neither do you have knowledge about them!"

The kettle gave a loud whistle startling Elena and she stood up to pour herself a cup of tea. "But I do know!" she said as she walked back to the table holding her cup and a piece of cheese. "I got married to the _capi di tutti capi_. Don't I deserve to know things? Why can you handle it and I can't?" she said defiantly.

"It's not like that", Caroline said with a small smile, "My mother is a queen pin Elena, she is the business. She is Damon's most trusted ally and I've grown up in a very different world than yours!"

"So you are involved in the business too?"

"No, but I'm aware of it. I am not like my mother if that's what you're asking but I am going to be Stefan's wife and I know everything there is to know about this world."

Elena sipped her tea quietly as she contemplated the blonde's words for a while, "I don't want to be kept in the dark Caroline; I don't want to be like my mother"

Miranda Gilbert was a sweet woman, always turning a blind eye to her husband's business, making her innocent victim and incredibly vulnerable.

"Then you need to learn to see grey Elena. Not everything is black and white, there's no bad and good guys here, there's just business and causalities and a world no one can escape!"

"I know!" she nodded and stared at the other girl with a solemn expression, "So I'll ask again, where are they?"

"He's going to be hopping mad but what the hell!" she flipped her hair back and moved the now empty bowl to the side. "You ever heard of Marcel Gerard?" When Elena shook her head in denial the well-informed blonde nodded in understanding. "He's the head of one of the most important families in the country, they're from New Orleans and have been Damon's allies for a while now."

Elena nodded wondering exactly how much she had been kept in the dark. How many secrets about their family's life and dealings were kept from girls like Bonnie and herself?

"Apparently his little sister Davina started seeing some man. Marcel had no knowledge of the affair until one day the girl simply disappeared." A frown marred Caroline's pretty face. "He had his men looking everywhere…they found her in Russia. She was sold into sex slavery."

Elena's breath got stuck in her throat as she raised her hand and covered her mouth in shock, "Oh my God!"

Caroline's expression was sad and troubled, "She's fifteen Elena, she's a child." She gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles where white "Marcel was enraged…"

"Who sells the sister of a mafia boss? Who has the balls?"

"The _Bratva_ does, one family in particular." Elena had heard of the _Bratva_ , in conversations between her father and brother, they were the Russian mafia but as far as she knew they stayed out of their business. "They had an old feud with Marcel and with Damon too, and his boss… he would do anything to get back at them. Davina was caught in the middle of all of that!"

"Poor girl!" Elena looked down, feeling incredibly sad at the fate of that poor child, who had to pay the price of growing up in the middle of all this mess. "Did they rescue her?"

"Where do you think Stefan and Damon are?" The blonde raised an immaculately groomed brow, something akin to pride shining in her eyes. "Marcel came asking for help, Damon gave it to him. We live in a world of violence and blood Elena but there are certain things the Salvatores won't stand: sexual slavery and child abuse are two of them. So you can be sure they're going to strike as hard as they can." There was a certain ruthless toughness and hatred in her voice which made Elena realize just how different she and the resilient blonde truly were.

"But isn't that dangerous? If the Russians want to get back at them… couldn't that be a trap?" The idea was too overwhelming, suddenly she feared for Damon and it was a gripping sensation.

"It's all dangerous in this world Elena," Caroline said with sympathy. "You wanted to know"

"Yeah, I did," Elena nodded while lifting her chin. "Why do the _Bratva_ hate the Salvatores?"

Caroline seemed to contemplate giving her an answer but slowly shook her head, exhaling deeply, "That's not my story to tell Elena, you'll have to ask Damon"

"Yeah… I don't think he's going to tell me anything" Elena muttered.

"You could try"

Elena nodded sadly, knowing there was no use in hoping that Damon would offer this information to her. He was like a closed book and would not disclose things he didn't want her to know, the only bits of information she had about him were the ones he had shared during those rare, unguarded moments when his defenses were down. "How do you do this Caroline? How can you live like this?"

"It's what I know Elena"

Elena thought about the differences between how the two girls had been bought up. How safe she had felt her entire life, thinking everything was perfect in her world and that no matter what, her father was always going to be there to protect her, "I've been so sheltered my entire life!"

"Maybe it was for the best."

She was naïve and vulnerable, a sheep in a den of wolves, "No, I don't think it was," she whispered.

They remained silent for a few moments, Elena sipping on her tea and Caroline twirling the spoon in the now-empty bowl. It was late but Elena knew that sleep wouldn't come tonight, not after all the things she had learned, "Wanna watch a movie?" she asked her new friend.

Caroline smiled brightly, a complete contrast to her previous expression, "Yeah, I would like that!"

They headed to the living room and chose to watch 'The Princess Bride' on Netflix; a happily-ever-after story, in which the monsters are defeated and the bad guys end up being good.

How she wished real life could be just like that.

* * *

 **Aaaaand?**


	9. Everything that you did,you did it to me

**Hello!**

 **First of all thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see how passionate you are about it and how the story manages to get so strong reactions from you!**

 **I've read a couple of comments talking about a similarity of this story with another one called Bound by honor is that a fanfiction or a book? I've honestly never heard of it before but it would be super cool if you could tell me how to find it because now I want to check it out lol**

 **As always thanks to Amber who goes over board and does the best job a beta could ever do, I hope you enjoy the new chapter**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"Am I a thing worth saving, huh? Am I a righteous man? The world wants me gone!

What about me? I love you so much... And I tried to make you go away... I killed you and it didn't help. And I hate it! I hate that it's _so_ hard... and that you can hurt me _so_ much. I know everything that you did, because you did it to me. Oh, God! I wish that I wished you dead. I don't. I can't."

 **-Buffy the vampire slayer-**

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Several days passed between the time Damon had walked out of their bedroom and Elena had seen him last and the day he returned. There were no phone calls or messages in between and not even the well-informed Caroline knew what was happening with the Salvatore brothers although she was constantly reassuring Elena that they were okay and they would return soon.

The anxiety was killing her and she had no idea how to handle it, this was something she was not accustomed to feeling. In the past whenever her father or Jeremy were missing for long, she never thought much about it, she preferred to carry on in blissful ignorance, pretending they were doing some other kind of business. It was only now she realized how naïve and foolish she had been, now that she knew exactly where Damon was she couldn't stop worrying about him, in spite of herself.

She spent most of her mornings in the kitchen with Mrs. Flowers, learning authentic Italian recipes; or in the pool with Caroline and little Maytana; she finished every single one of her school assignments and tried to keep her mind occupied, but the entire time, thoughts of Damon plagued and tormented her, worrying her and not leaving her head one single minute of each day he was gone.

Elena finally saw him again on the night of the sixth day; she was in her pajamas and about to crawl into bed when she heard the commotion downstairs, she immediately threw on a robe and dashed out of the room.

They were all in the parlor; Caroline was hugging a very tired looking Stefan while he whispered reassuring words in her ear. He and Enzo were both bruised but looked fine, Damon on the other hand looked anything but fine. He was covered in sweat and limping as he pressed his hand to the right side of his torso.

"Damon…" she let out a breathless whimper from where she was standing at the bottom of the stairs, her heart in her mouth. His eyes snapped up at her and for a second she saw relief and happiness at seeing her before they abruptly frosted over and the cold stranger reappeared.

"Seems you didn't pray hard enough Scarlet, I didn't die," Elena was so taken aback at the harshness of his words that she didn't even know how to respond. She felt a twinge of hurt in her heart and she stepped back, eyes wide with emotions.

"Damon!" Caroline admonished him because she knew how sick with worry Elena had been over the last few days.

He ignored his sister-in-law and walked towards his wife who still remained frozen on spot, his eyes drinking her in, the short, flimsy robe did nothing to hide her long shapely legs and smooth olive skin, he felt himself getting hard at the sight of her in spite of the extreme situation he was in.

"Thought you might get lucky soon _cara_ , I might not make it pass today!" he whispered in her ear before continuing his path up the stairs.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked with a frown, her heart thudding with fear as she spun around and watched his retreating back as he went past her. He didn't offer an answer so Elena turned to Stefan, seeking an explanation.

Alaric, a man Elena had seen only a couple times, walked in with worried eyes and looked at Stefan with concern, "I called Meredith, she's on her way."

The younger Salvatore nodded and Elena watched them puzzled, clueless about what had transpired during their trip. "What is happening, who is Meredith?"

Stefan sighed loudly, tiredly rubbing his face with his hands, "What's going on is that my brother is a giant idiot," Stefan muttered as he looked at Elena, "he got shot and refused to stay in the hospital."

Elena suddenly felt like cold ice was running through her veins, and dread filled her as she said aghast, "What?"

Caroline's eyes widened as she looked at her fiancé, "You brought him like that all the way from St. Petersburg?"

Stefan directed an annoyed glance in Enzo's direction, "Did he give us a choice?"

"No he didn't!" the other man replied curtly.

Caroline's worried eyes looked back and forth between Stefan and Elena, "How is he still standing?" she asked.

Stefan went to the living room to pour himself a glass of scotch and they all followed him like the entourage of a celebrity. "They have patched him up but have advised total bed rest as the injury was severe. He told them to screw themselves, so we came back and now his stitches are open and he's been bleeding out for the last twenty minutes."

"And yet that son of a bitch is still standing," Alaric mumbled with something akin to pride in his tone.

Stefan chuckled, "Bad weed never dies."

"But?" Elena questioned.

Stefan guessed where she was heading and explained who 'Meredith' was, "Meredith is the doctor of the family, she'll fix him up."

Elena stared at him in complete shock, "He can't be fixed like that… he needs a hospital." She knew that no matter how good that girl was, there was no way Damon could recover fully without hospitalization and round-the-clock care, the house simply couldn't provide everything he needed.

Stefan let out a tired sigh as he dropped himself on to the couch, "Tell him that, be my guest."

Elena stared at the tired face of her brother-in-law and her blonde friend before stomping out of the room in the direction of Damon; the shock of seeing him had faded and was now being replaced by anger at his nonchalant attitude towards his injured condition.

She burst into their bedroom and found him leaning against one of the bedposts, a grimace on his face as he examined the wound on the right side of his torso. His bloodied and sweaty shirt lay discarded on the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped at him all the while trying to ignore the growing worry in the pit of her stomach at the sight of him like that.

"Excuse me?"

"You need a hospital Damon!" she walked closer to where he was standing; she could see the sweat beads glistening on his forehead and a slight tremble on his upper lip. Damon was in way more pain than what he was letting on.

His jaw clenched as he looked at her, "I am in the middle of a war Elena, the last thing I need is to be in a place with easy access."

"You have like a thousand men at your command, they could keep guard over you."

"Not enough. There's no safer place for me than here."

Elena was livid at the way he was handling things, she could see how grave his wound was, and yet he was acting cavalier about it, as if his life didn't matter at all. "Safer? You're going to die here, you idiot," her eyes blazed with fury as she looked at him.

He moved away from the bedpost, and she could see how hard it was for him not to wince at he effort it took. "Well then you should be leaving me alone, the faster I die the faster you're free," he spat out, his face so close to her that their noses were almost touching.

She shook her head in complete frustration. She couldn't believe he could think she was as heartless as to wish something like that for him, "You don't have a clue of what you're saying!"

He laughed scathingly, "I don't? Oh please I think I know more than you." He raised one of his hands to take hold of her chin, leaving blood stains on her flawless skin. "So you better start praying _bambolina_ because that is the only way you'll ever be free of me." His eyes were dark blue and wild as he stared at her, the beast peaking out from inside him. "Otherwise I will chase you until the ends of the world if I have to, you'll never get away from me," his words were a jumbled mess as his voice slurred. Elena could feel how feverish his skin was from where he was touching her and she knew Damon was not in his right mind. "So if you want and wish me dead than you better start praying _cara_ ," he bit out as he released her chin and moved away from her, heading towards the bathroom.

Elena stood next to the bed, her emotions alternating between anger, worry and complete outrage at his behavior, "Go to hell Damon," she shouted as he entered the bathroom.

She heard his dark laugh and the soft words that followed made a shiver run down her spine, "I'm sure I'll be there soon."

Just as Alaric had promised, Meredith arrived a few minutes afterwards. Damon had managed to take a shower but nothing more; Stefan and Enzo had to carry him out of the bathroom and into a room in the basement. Elena had never been in that part of the house and was surprised to find that it resembled a small clinic a lot; it made sense to have a place like this in their line of work. Damon was placed in a sterile room where Meredith and two other medical looking people locked themselves for what felt like hours.

Elena and Stefan paced back in forth in front of the door while Caroline tried to reassure them both. Enzo and Alaric had gone to deal with the aftermath of their bloodied battle. Elena was glad to find out that they had managed to extract Davina out of the brothel, where they held her but she was not that happy to learn the boss of the Bratva had declared that a retaliation was in order.

Elena had been doing some digging on the Russian mobster and knew that Nikklaus Michaelson was a man that should be feared.

When Meredith walked out of the room, the first thing Elena noticed were her worried eyes, the young doctor told them that the bullet had been extracted with success in Russia. There was no risk of internal bleeding, since the bullet didn't hit any important organ but unfortunately the wound had got infected. The infection had caused high fever which she had treated with strong antibiotics and done her best to stabilize him; so now the only thing they could do was wait to see what happened. She was positive Damon would walk out of this.

Stefan gave Meredith and her assistants rooms in the left wing of the house so that they could rest, as he didn't want them leaving the house, until his brother was out of danger. Himself, Elena, Caroline and even Lilian Salvatore remained in the small waiting area in front of the room where Damon was resting.

Elena paced back and forth outside his door. Stefan had been with him for a few minutes a while ago, but after that, he hadn't allowed anyone else to go inside, "I want to see him."

Stefan raised his eyes from his phone, "Later." He was resting on one end of the black leather couches while his fiancée was tucked away sleeping on the other side.

"Stefan…" Lily admonished in a soft warning tone from where she was resting across the room from her younger son.

Elena's nostrils flared as she faced her brother-in-law, "Don't give me that, he's my husband and I want to see him."

Stefan shook his head, "He's resting. He needs to get better."

She didn't know whether it was the lack of sleep, the worry or the intensity and stress of the situation, but she couldn't hold in her emotions any longer and she snapped at him, "If you want him to get better than send him to a hospital."

He let out an exasperated sigh, as he flung his phone on the small coffee table in front of him, "Don't start again Elena."

"This is stupid Stefan and you know it", Damon's fever hadn't broken yet and Elena was getting anxious, as she knew he would have a better chances at survival if he was in a hospital.

"What do you want me to do Elena?"

"Take him to a bloody hospital!"

"I can't disobey the orders of my boss."

Elena clenched her fists at her sides, completely enraged with the younger Salvatore, "Bullshit! Your boss is dying!"

Stefan looked conflicted for a moment before he schooled his expression back to the mask of calmness he always wore, "He'll be fine, Damon is a tough one, he'll make it out alive."

Elena shook her head in complete disbelief, "You're so stupid!"

"Cut it out Elena!" Stefan warned.

"He needs to be in a hospital!"

"Where anyone can have easy access to him, is that what you want? You have no idea what kind of war we are in the middle of Elena; Meredith knows what she's doing. Damon will be fine."

"I can't believe this…"

Stefan stood up abruptly, taking long strides to cover the distance to where she was standing and hovered over her, cutting her sentence abruptly, "What do you care anyway? You feel nothing for him. It would be better for you if he just died."

Elena closed her eyes and screamed, "Shut up!"

"Stefan…" Caroline, who was now fully awake, warned as she walked closer to her boyfriend.

"It's the truth isn't?" he looked at Elena straight in the eyes, her bottom lip quivered as angry tears threaten to fall from her eyes. "You don't give a damn about my brother so don't come here making demands when your words mean nothing."

"Stefan stop it!" Lily reprimanded her son.

"Calm down, damn it!" Caroline tugged at his sleeve until he was facing her. The exhausted blonde wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and started dragging him up the stairs all the while murmuring sweet words into his ears.

He stopped abruptly and spun around "Elena…"

She raised her chin as her red rimmed eyes stared at him with steely resolve, "He's my husband and you can't keep me out. I'm going inside whether you want it or not!"

He nodded solemnly, "Okay," he said before letting his girlfriend take him upstairs.

Elena turned around and met a small, warm smile from Lily Salvatore; that woman was still an enigma for Elena and she had no idea how to act around her. "Go on child," she told her, "I know he's waiting for you."

Elena stared at the closed door and took a deep breath before entering. She felt her heart jump to her throat when she saw the injured form of her husband lying helplessly on the bed, and she was assailed by a wave of emotion so strong, it knocked her breathless. The ruthless, calloused Damon Salvatore looked as vulnerable as a child as he lay there.

Warm tears started trailing down her cheeks, and Elena was completely taken aback by the intensity of the emotions swirling inside her. Without knowing how or when, Damon had carved a way inside her heart and had managed to make her feel for him. When had the hate changed to these strong emotions? she knew that she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Why? Why did she feel so strongly about a man who had cared so little for her choices? What was it about him that drew her to him so powerfully? Why did she feel such a strong connection and affinity to a man as cruel and cold as he was?

What did that say about her?

With shaky legs, she walked until she was at his side and sat next to him, "Oh Damon!" she whispered as she took one of his immobile hands in hers. These were the very hands that had killed men, hands that had caused more harm than she ever wanted to know about, yet these were the same hands that had caressed her body so tenderly at times and so passionately at others, these were the hands that had taken her to unimaginable heights of delight, eliciting an immediate response when they touched her skin lovingly, yet right now they were lifeless, they held no strength. Elena realized that in this moment Damon was as vulnerable as he would ever be.

Her head was a jumbled mess; she wanted to wish him dead, she wanted to feel anger and hatred towards the man who had taken so much from her but she just couldn't. Did that mean that deep down she was as messed up as he was? That there was a part of her that craved the darkness he could provide her? Did she want to be his princess of darkness?

"Elena…?" her eyes snapped to his face when she heard his soft murmur.

His eyes were barely open as he looked around the room in evident distress, "Hey, it's okay. You're okay!" Elena leaned down and placed a hand to feel his warm forehead.

"You have to tell them," he rasped out.

A frown appeared on her face, "Tell them what?"

"Tell mother it's too dangerous," he whined. "Addy shouldn't go, not right now." His thrashed his head from side to side.

Elena tenderly swept his hair from his damp forehead as she whispered softly to him, "Damon? What are you talking about?"

His eyes looked at her with panic, "I see her blue eyes everywhere, they're not moving!"

Elena couldn't stand to see him like this anymore, Damon was not in his right mind and Meredith needed to do something to lower his fever. "Damon, I'm going to find Meredith and your mom," she moved to stand up but his hand shot up to her and wrapped it around her arm.

"No, don't tell her about Addy." He said in a frantic voice.

"Damon?"

"They are crawling everywhere," he sounded terrified and Elena's heart broke at the sight of him. "I can hear the sounds they make. I want to be out, I'm scared," he shut closed his eyes as he gripped her arm more tightly.

She lay down on the bed beside him soothing him and once again stroked his hand softly, "It's okay, Damon. It's fine. You're all right." Her voice was gentle as she spoke to him.

He seemed to calm down and his eyes opened once again and stared at her, "Elena?"

A small smile appeared on her face, "Yes, Damon. It's me."

"Are you here to kill me?" he asked in a soft voice.

Elena smiled sadly as she stroked his cheek, cradling his head on her shoulders as tears streamed down her face, "No, no baby. I could never kill you."

"I'm sorry," he said in a strained whisper, his tortured blue eyes were glued to her face, "I'm sorry for what I did to you."

"It's okay"

"No it's not. I've done so many things to hurt you," he raised his hand and caressed the ends of her hair, "But I can't stop, I can't let you leave."

"I know"

"Please forgive me. I'm so sorry Elena, so sorry!"

She kept stroking his head down to his face with soft hands, until he was calm enough and then she went to retrieve Meredith. As she sat in silence next to Stefan in the small waiting room, her mind drifted back to those fleeting moments with Damon inside the room, to the panic in his eyes and the jumbled words she couldn't understand a thing about.

She wanted to know Damon's secrets; she wanted to know the deepest parts of his soul and she couldn't understand why. What was about that man that made her so vulnerable?

Elena knew in that moment that Damon was going to be either the best thing for her or the worst, there was no middle ground when it came to him. And something told Elena that he was going to end up consuming her whole.

* * *

 **A review pretty pretty please?**


	10. The tragic tale of Damon Salvatore

_"It's not a crime to love what you_ cannot explain"

 **-The vampire diaries-**

 **.**

 **.**

 _There was nothing but darkness around him; his heart was beating frantically against his chest as beads of sweat trickled down his back and the nape of his neck. He felt the suffocated in the small space, his little heart beating furiously and tears streaming down his soft cheeks._

 _He cried and shouted, his tiny hands pushing hysterically at the four walls surrounding him, as he felt tiny legs crawling up his limbs; he could hear them moving, the buzzing sound filling his ears, his voice broken and hoarse from screaming and tears streaming down his face._

 _He wanted to shove them off, wanted to be the big, brave man his father demanded him to be, but he couldn't. He was paralyzed with fear; he crossed his little arms on top of his chest in a protective gesture as he felt the bugs crawling all around him._

 _It felt like ages before he saw the light again, the cover of the wooden box where he was put in was removed and he saw the tear stained cheeks of his mother and her broken and dull blue eyes staring at him imploringly asking for forgiveness at her inability to save him from this distress._

" _I'm so sorry, my baby," she sobbed as she reached into the box and pulled him out of it, her hands swatting the offending bugs away. "I'm sorry!" she sniffed as she rocked him, trying to soothe his fears as she wrapped him close to her body and he put his arms around her slender neck. "I'm so sorry"_

Damon's eyes snapped open and he found the worried eyes of his brother staring at him. His heart was hammering against his ribcage as he caste his eyes around the room, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The residual fear of his nightmare was still coursing through his body and was making him wary. The taste of his bitter tears almost tangible in his mouth and the helplessness of his young self a paralyzing reality.

"Damon are you okay? You were moaning in your sleep," Stefan asked as he sat down facing his brother on the bed.

"Fine, I am just fine!" he said closing his eyes briefly trying to erase the lingering images in his head, the terrible memories that haunted him every once in a while. He took in a deep breath banishing the fears away as he tried to regain his bearings.

Stefan scratched his forehead nervously, "You scared the crap out of us."

"What happened?" Damon asked with a frown.

"You got an infection, but Meredith was able to fix you up. She said you're finally out of danger."

"Great, because I need to get the hell away from here," he tried to sit up but Stefan pushed him back down gently.

"Easy there, you've been out for two days Damon. You need time to recover." His brother's voice was soft, dark circles marred the skin under his eyes and worry lines seemed to be etched permanently into the younger Salvatore's face. It was apparent that he was shaken to his very soul, he had come so close to losing his brother, he gave a little shudder at the thought of never being able to his brother again. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gave a silent thanks to God for not taking his brother away from him.

Damon shook his head as he tried to sit up once again, "Two days is more than enough, there's stuff that need to be done."

Stefan sighed as he pushed his brother down again, "Alaric and I have been handling it."

His jaw clenched as he stared at his brother with hard eyes, "I can't stay here forever Stef."

"I know, but just a little longer. Until your body recovers fully. You will do more harm to yourself than good."

"Fine!" he huffed. "How's Davina?"

"Adjusting," Stefan said sadly. "Marcel says she cries every night but that she seems to be getting better. He's restless."

Damon closed his eyes in anger, images of Kol's Mikaelson's dead body came to his mind and he wished that they'd had more time with him, he didn't deserve the quick death he got. He should have been tortured and made to feel all the horrors that he put an innocent young girl through.

"I can't blame Marcel; it was his little sister after all. But we need to plan our next steps wisely. We just killed his brother; Klaus is going to strike back!"

"Alaric and I think it's wise to plan a gathering with the commission."

"Yeah, just give me a few more days till I am fully recovered and myself again and we'll make it happen." His steely blue eyes looked grimly at his brother, "I don't need to remind you how careful we have to be about the location."

"Of course not Damon, we'll see to it," Stefan answered while rolling his eyes. "Those bitches are finally going to get what they deserve!"

Damon moved so he could sit straighter but winced at the sudden onslaught of excruciating pain that shot through his wounds.

"Do you need something? I could ask Mer for more pain meds," Stefan asked with an almost frantic urgency. He wrung his hands as he looked helplessly at Damon, wishing he could do something more concrete for his pain.

"No, no pain meds. They make me foggy," Damon whispered. "I need to think clearly."

"All right then, as you wish!" Stefan sighed resignedly, knowing nothing more could be done, he was well aware of his his brother's stubborn streak.

They heard a soft knock on the door, and Stefan got up, and give his brother a meaningful look. "That must be Elena, the poor thing has been in and out this bedroom constantly for the past two days." Remorse bit the insides of the youngest Salvatore when he remembered the way he had behaved with the girl.

Damon's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at his brother. He knew Elena was a kind person, and even though he didn't expect her to be glad he was hurt; he also didn't think she would care so much about what was happening to him.

"Don't seem so surprised brother, she has a big heart."

"Yeah she does."

Stefan said goodbye to his brother, patted him on his shoulders and got up from bed, heading towards the door where he saw Elena waiting behind anxiously.

"He's awake," Damon heard his brother murmuring to someone before he disappeared completely behind the door.

Then he saw her, she looked like a vision, a beautiful angel that he had stolen in hopes that she could bring a ray of light in his desolate life – maybe in her he could find peace amidst the loud violence that was his existence! She was the haven of cool breeze in the blistering desert of his reality.

Elena stood in the doorway, gratefully drinking in the sight of a recovered Damon, far removed from the dreadful memory of the man thrashing in agonizing pain that she had witnessed, just two days ago. "Hey!" she said with an awkward smile as she walked further into the room.

"Hey!" he answered back as the right tip of his lip lifted up in a half smile.

"How you're feeling?" she asked twisting her fingers and eyeing his wounds surreptitiously. "Is the pain a bit better today?"

Damon huffed, "Fine. I'm good, hopefully I'll be out of here by afternoon."

"I wouldn't count on that," Elena sat down on the bed facing him. "It was reckless what you did, not going into a hospital." She frowned as she thought of what could have happened if the infection hadn't been healed. The thought scared her more than she thought possible, she didn't want to imagine a world without Damon in it.

"I know you think that but I did the right thing," he told her seriously. Damon knew that things were too tense at the moment and he couldn't allow himself to be vulnerable in a place where he was easy to reach and harm. "I'm sorry"

Elena's surprised eyes snapped towards his, "For what?"

"For everything I suppose," he shrugged. "But I shouldn't have treated you the way I did when I got back and said all those hurtful things. I know you would never wish me dead, there's not a bad bone in your body therefore those thoughts could never be in your head." Elena nodded as a heavy silence hung between them. She turned her head, blinking to stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes again, before turning to him.

Damon had dark circles under his eyes and his lips were pale and chapped, there was a thinness to his face and his whole body that made him look incredibly raw and exposed. There was a vulnerability to him that she had never seen before and it made her heart clench with pain. It was difficult for Elena to reconcile this Damon to the one she saw every day, the brutal man whom she was married to.

Elena fidgeted with the diamond on her engagement ring; she hadn't been able to stop thinking about the incoherent things he had said while in the throes of high fever the other night, and about what they meant. "Damon… can I ask you something"

"Sure"

"When you were feverish you kept repeating a name, calling out to someone."

His forehead was marked with a frown, "Someone?

"Addy. You kept saying Addy!" Elena felt the atmosphere change as soon as she the words were out of her mouth. She could feel Damon tense all the way from the bed. The muscles in his jaws clenched and his whole demeanor stiffened, his tired eyes looked icy, "Damon… who was she?"

He turned away from her, his jaw looked and his eyes cold, as he looked at the door, "It doesn't matter now. That's not of your business Elena!"

Elena huffed before laughing scornfully, "There you go again and we are back to square one."

His eyes moved back to her, "Excuse me?"

"Pretending not to care, shutting me out like you always do," her voice had an angry lilt to it and she was starting to become extremely agitated with him. She wondered briefly why she even bothered with him, he obviously didn't want any meaningful relationship with her, she was his trophy wife meant to be just a display. She couldn't understand why she kept coming back to him, why couldn't she just leave him alone. What was it about him that pulled at her heartstrings? Why could she not care what happened to him.

Damon looked conflicted for a few seconds, as if he was trying to find the right words to explain it to her, "There are certain things I can't talk to you about Elena, you wouldn't understand."

Her chin lifted in defiance, "Try me Damon; don't insult my intelligence by assuming I will break."

"It's not like that!" He said shaking his head, looking at her as if contemplating what to say.

"I just want to understand," she pleaded.

There was a dense silence between them and she could see all the conflicting emotions flickering in Damon's face as he contemplated what to do. He sighed and with defeated shrug he began to talk hesitantly, "When I told you I was going to be out for some business…"

"I know where you were!" she interrupted him quickly.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Of course, Caroline…"

"Please don't be mad at her!"

Damon shook his head ruefully, a slight smile ghosting his lips, he had learned a long time ago that there was no way to control his sister in law and that in a way Elena was right, she deserved to know things. Knowing would make her less vulnerable, "Well you should know about the Mikaelson's then; there's been a feud between the families for ages, dating back to my grandfather I believe. We've always been neck to neck with the Bratva, for territory, money, for everything." Her eyes widened and she listened to him with rapt attention as he told his story. "When my father was boss he tried to do the unthinkable, what no other boss before him had achieved, he wanted peace." His eyes looked haunted as his memory seemed to have transported him to another time and place. "An arrangement was made, he and Mikael had agreed on peace, no more bloodshed. Territories were divided and it seemed my father had accomplished the unimaginable."

From his troubled expression, Elena could gauge that this story was not going to have a happy ending and yet she couldn't help asking, "Then what happened?"

"The Mikaelson's have always been backstabbing bastards," Damon bit out. "Even after the agreement was settled, my mom lived in paranoia, she knew what those Russians were capable of, and she didn't want us to leave the house but my father wasn't okay with that. He wanted to show everyone that all was right and there was nothing to be afraid of, so we all continued with our lives like nothing had happened." He paused and closed his eyes briefly, Elena watched him with apprehension, fearing what was coming. "Three days after that agreement, Adelaide left for school with her nanny. The kindergarten, can you believe it? What was the worst thing that could happen if a toddler lost a few days in kindergarten? But he insisted she should go, so he sent her in the car he was supposed to be in."

He stopped, pain distorting his face, his eyes wild with anger. After a few seconds of tense silence, he gave a shuddering breath and continued in a clipped voice, almost staccato in an effort to control emotions threatening to overpower him with their intensity. "Bullets rained from every imaginable side. An ambush held by the eldest son of Mikael, breaking any treaty made and ending with the life of my baby sister!"

Elena closed her eyes horrified, her heart ached for that little girl she hadn't got the chance of knowing, "Oh my God Damon…" she looked helplessly at him, her heart aching equally for the man lost in his painful memories.

"I arrived at the scene with him. There was so much blood everywhere and her little blue eyes were open, a silent accusation in them. It was like in those pair of eyes we could see everything that was wrong with our world. Sometimes at night I can still see her staring at me that way…" His cerulean blue eyes swimming with pain stared at a far point in the distance, lost and anguished. He looked so troubled that all Elena wanted to do was envelop him in a hug so that nothing bad could reach him. She wanted to soothe and comfort away his pain. She had thought that a feverish Damon was the most vulnerable she was ever going to see him but she was wrong. What she was seeing now was his soul laid bare, the deepest cut and the unhealed wound that wept tears of recrimination and regret – a tortured moment that tormented forever.

"I didn't cry you know? Not even a tear, it was like a cold frost crept inside… freezing all emotions, so I couldn't feel anything"

If she closed her eyes Elena could almost see how everything had gone down, the blood, the helplessness, the agony, she could picture it all, "I'm so sorry"

"Don't be, it wasn't your doing." He said curtly immediately reverting back to being emotionless, hiding any and all vulnerability. "Mother never forgave father for it, she lost her mind, locked herself in her room and as you can see she barely leaves it even now. She went completely crazy!" His blue eyes looked intently at her, hidden resentment shone in them as he spoke about his father, "And you know the worst part? I think he was more saddened by his failure. Because the Mikaelson got the upper hand and he lost in the end, not because the life of his child ended because of that meaningless war."

"Did you retaliate?" Elena asked softly.

"Tried to, they lost a few men but the little bitches ran to Russia and have been hiding there over the last fourteen years."

"How old were you?"

"I was eighteen. She was four," Elena clutched her hands across her chest as if trying to alleviate the ache that had spread like cancer, pinching her heart.

"Little Maytana… she looks so much like Addy, mom can barely look at the child…"

Elena nodded in understanding, her eyes brimming with tears and sympathy. Images of Damon playing with that little girl flashed back to her memory and she realized that he cared so much for that little girl because she reminded him of his little sister. The innocent sister he had lost so unfortunately to this cold and brutal world they had been forced to live in. "Damon… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," her hand took his hand in her own and squeezed it gently.

His eyes snapped to her as he removed his hands from hers and said harshly, "Don't… don't pity me," he bit out bitterly. "Don't try to justify who I am now, how my past affected me and made me the man I am. Don't make rationalizations for me."

Elena's hazel eyes blazed with fury, as she stood up angrily smoothing her blouse, "Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time?"

"It's just easier like this."

"It wouldn't kill you to show some feelings you know."

His eyes looked at her grimly, "Yes, yes it would."

"I know you think I don't understand, but I do Damon," she said beseechingly.

"No Elena, you don't!" He sat up straighter in the bed and leaned down a few centimeters to he could be closer to her, "This isn't beauty and the beast you know? You won't show up in my castle and make me a better man. I am not that way, I don't love!"

"You're such an arrogant asshole," Elena muttered under her breath "Then why marry me?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. I wanted you so I got you. It's how I've always been!"

"I don't believe you!" she narrowed her eyes at him. "But fine, I don't want your love anyway but I think I deserve some respect Damon. I am your wife for better or for worse and since you're not letting me go."

"I thought we made that point clear before," he said through clenched teeth. The thought of losing her making him feel like smashing something. Despite his outward coldness to her, the thought of not seeing her face terrified him. She had gotten under his skin, her essence all around him, inside him, she was a part of him, floating deep inside and that thought disturbed him because it made him vulnerable.

"Therefore if I'm here for the long run, I want respect. I don't want to be kept in the dark and I want to be treated like a person and not an object," she continued indignantly, her chest heaving with pent up frustration and anger.

"I treat you with respect Elena!" he looked at her speculatively. This was a part of her he had not seen before, a warrior princess!

She laughed acerbically, "No you don't. You are mean to me most of the time, you locked me in the room like an animal on our wedding night and you're always treating me like I'm too stupid to understand things." Her face was so close to his that he could feel her breath caressing his skin, and he felt a little tremor go through his body, "I didn't come here without my family to be left alone all the time, the least I deserve is to be treated fairly!"

He seemed to think over her words for a few minutes before nodding, "Alright, I'm sorry if I've been too harsh on you Elena!" He took a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear gently, "But you need to also understand that this is how this world works. I have the power. I must always have the power, there is no other way around it. It's who I am!"

"I have told you this before, I don't think it's all you are!" she said mutinously.

"Violence, blood and power. It's all I've ever known, it's all I am and what I will always be. If you're trying to find something redeemable in me I think you might be disappointed. I'm not a good man, I've never been," he bit out harshly.

"I think you spend too much thinking about what you are not and not enough about what you could be!"

He looked at her with a stunned expression, startled by her words and she almost smiled, marveling at the fact that she was able to render the mighty Damon speechless. "But let's leave it at that, I think we've already filled our quota of heavy conversations for the day."

He nodded as he smiled slightly, "Yes I think we have!"

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and Alaric peeked his head inside, a relieved smile appearing on his face when he saw that Damon was all right, "Can I have a moment alone with Damon?"

"Yes, of course!" Elena said and Damon nodded in agreement. Before leaving the room, she stood and whispered in his ears, her warm breath caressing his ears, "I am sorry about your sister Damon." She placed a soft kiss on his cheeks before straightening up and heading towards the door. "See you later!" she said before disappearing.

Once again leaving Damon Salvatore completely speechless.

* * *

 **Review please?**

 **BTW were you as shocked and excited as me to learn Ian is going to be a daddy? I'm just happy he's getting everything he always wanted.**

 **Have a nice day**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**


	11. Beauty in darkness

_This is kind of short but I actually like it a lot so I hope you do too, thanks for reading and reviewing guys, it means the world to me._

 _Amber as always, thanks so much for doing an amazing job correcting this for me._

 _Enjoy!_

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" **Mother you don't understand.**

 **I made Hades run to me.**

 **He saw my bones beneath**

 **And offered me half of his kingdom**

 **Do you really think I ate the fruit unwillingly?"**

 **.**

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Elena hung up and sighed as she let herself fall listlessly against the cushioned pillows on her bed, she had been talking with Bonnie on the phone and her friend had assured her that she would do her best to be in New York later that week. Elena was grateful for the chance because she needed some alone time and bonding with her childhood best friend. Caroline was great and had been so supportive lately but there were things she couldn't understand because of her deep involvement with The Salvatores, things that Elena could only share with Bonnie because of their lifelong ties and no conflict of interest.

It had been two days since Damon woke up from that hellish fever but she had barely gotten the chance to see him or be with him. Alaric, Stefan and Enzo monopolized most of his time, discussing future strategy and plans in that sterile clinic-like room. Damon had been strangely open with Elena lately when she visited him and those were the moments Elena liked to take advantage off. The realization that she was bothered by the fact that she only got a handful of such minutes in a day with him, really bothered Elena. She didn't want to think about what it meant, how insidiously he had crept up on her and how much she wanted to get a peak at the man inside the armor of glib indifference.

Why did she care?

It frightened her how much she was growing to like Damon. When his guard was down he was funny and thoughtful, she had discovered that they had a lot of things in common and that she actually enjoyed spending time with him, the mere thought scared the hell out of her.

She looked at the darkened night sky outside the window and realized it was probably time she left the room and went to the kitchen for a snack, since she wasn't feel very hungry and didn't want to have a big dinner. She threw on her silk robe over her pajamas and walked out of the room in the direction of the kitchen.

The room was silent except for the low buzz of the refrigerator, Elena ate a couple of crackers with a piece of cheese and drank a cup of her favorite tea while her thoughts swirled around her husband and what she was starting to feel for him. As if the mere act of thinking about him could materialize him, he appeared in the kitchen standing casually at the entrance. He was still a bit banged up but managed to stand just fine.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Elena asked from where she was sitting on a stool.

"That's what Meredith wants, but I've had enough of that place," he said gesturing in the direction of the clinic-like place they had built in the basement. "I want to be back in my room." His words sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine and she hated herself for the reaction her body always had to this man.

"You sure that's all right? You were completely out of it, only two days ago Damon." Elena asked while her eyes moved to the bandage covering his side, because yes, Damon had entered the kitchen shirtless, a fact she was trying so hard not to notice as her eyes kept straying to his toned chest and velvety skin.

"It'll be fine. I'm not that breakable." He was about to take a seat on the stool next to hers, when the paddling of little feet and a loud shout of joy came from the entrance.

"MR. DAMON!" little Maytana came hurtling towards him and he kneeled down with a wince so he could be on eye level with her. "Grammie said you were sick," she threw her hands around his neck, and he held her to his body with a warm smile, "I wanted to see you but she said I couldn't. Are you okay now?"

"Yes I am fine" he said as she pulled away from his embrace and stared into his smiling face.

Elena watched the scene with rapt attention; it was baffling for her to reconcile this soft and tender version of him with the one she knew. "It was just a scratch," he gestured towards the patch on his side.

"I'll help you make it better," the girl said cheerfully and kissed two of her fingers and placed them on his wound. "Better now?"

Damon chuckled and squeezed her cheeks softly, "Better _piccolina_!"

Elena almost melted in her seat at the scene in front of her, when people said there was nothing cuter than a man with a child, they were right she thought to herself, because her insides were exploding into a million tiny pieces at the sight of Damon with little Maytana.

"Is Miss Elena going to take care of you?" the little girl asked innocently as she directed her gaze towards Elena who looked back at them startled at the query.

Damon snickered and raised an eyebrow in the direction of his wife, "I don't know. Are you going to 'take care of me' _cara mia_?" he asked seductively.

Elena blushed and gave him an annoyed look, smiling sweetly at the girl as she said, "Of course I will!"

"Maytana!" the girl's eyes widened when she heard her grandmother's angry voice in the distance.

"I think she's upset," she said.

"Where are you, girl?" Mrs. Flowers entered the kitchen with a worried look on her face. "I already told you, you shouldn't be roaming around the house so late at night," she admonished the girl who left Damon's side and went to her grandmothers'. "I'm so sorry Mr. Damon, Miss Elena!" the elderly lady said.

"No worries!" Elena said softly.

"It's not a problem, Alicia," Damon said while standing up, his hand moving to his bandaged side.

"Thank you. But it's already time this little lady was in bed," she gestured to her granddaughter who looked at her guiltily as she clutched her hand tightly. "We should be going!"

"Goodnight _piccolina!_ "

"Goodnight Mr. Damon!"

Damon watched the retreating figures with a smile on his face and Elena found herself captivated by his expression, he was a handsome man but when he smiled he was truly beautiful.

He turned towards her and they stared at each other in silence for a few minutes before he broke the ice, "Come on, let's go to bed." Elena tried to pretend her heart didn't skip a beat at his words and stood up to follow him.

His steps were slow, as the wound was still bothering him, Elena thought he was stubborn and should have remained in bed longer but knew it was futile to argue with him.

"Have you spoken with your friend Bonnie or your mother?" he asked as they went up the stairs.

"I just spoke to Bonnie a few minutes ago."

"You should ask them to come. I'll have the jet ready to pick them up," Elena looked at him astonished as they headed towards their room. "Don't be so surprised Elena, I've seen how gloomy you have been looking lately, I think it will be nice for you to have them here"

"Well thank you Damon, I'll let them know" Elena answered absently. She didn't tell him that Bonnie already had plans to come, her mind was busy thinking about how differently Damon had been behaving towards her recently.

They entered the bedroom in silence, Elena went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face as Damon climbed in bed, feeling exhausted despite being up for a few minutes only.

After she left the bathroom, she went to sit in front of the mirror of her beautiful dressing table and brushed her long hair while he lay against the pillows on the bed, their gaze met each other in the mirror for a speculative second before she looked away placing the brush on top of her lap.

"What's going to happen now Damon?" he quirked an eyebrow at her question. "Don't play dumb with me," she said as she turned around on the stool, so she could stare at him fully.

Dark circles still marred the skin under his eyes and he looked paler than usual but other than that Damon was almost fully recovered. Elena admired her husband's strength of will, because in a matter of days he was almost back to his old self.

"We have made plans. Nicklaus won't stay hidden for long, now that his brother is dead so we'll have to be ready when he decides to show up." His voice was steady as he spoke. Damon had reasoned that it was better to keep Elena updated on things instead of keeping her in the dark like his father always did with his mother, ignorance made her vulnerable.

Elena nodded as if his words made sense to her, then she turned around once again and stared at herself in the mirror for a second time before placing the brush on top of the dressing table and standing up. Damon's gaze moved to her long legs barely covered by the tiny satin shorts she slept in, Elena could feel his eyes on her as she went to switch off the lights.

"Caroline said you don't deal in sex slavery and child abuse," Elena said as she walked to the bed, the room was in complete darkness except for the light of a small bedside lamp Damon had on. "What do you deal in?"

Damon looked at her with genuine surprise, "You really don't know much about this, do you?" he stated as she crawled under the covers, the heat of his body making her tingle all over.

"Father never talked about his business when me or mom were present," she adjusted the pillow behind her and propped herself on her elbow so she could stare at him. "Whenever Jeremy or dad came home wounded we were supposed to pretend nothing had happened."

Damon chuckled darkly, how ridiculous Grayson Gilbert had been, trying to protect his baby girl from the reality of his work yet handing her over to the most dangerous man of them all. "We deal with guns…and some drugs here and there but that's mostly your father's territory."

Elena gasped and he almost laughed at her reaction, her innocence was so refreshing to him. Whenever he was around her he felt lighter, more at peace than ever before.

She tried to regain her composure quickly, Damon was in a talkative mood and she always liked to make the most of these moments when he was open to her. "Do you kill for a living?"

Damon snickered, "No Elena, I am not a hit man. But yes I've killed and yes I will do it again because a lot of deaths occur in a war and this world is a never ending war."

"But…"

"Do I enjoy it? Not in the way you think."

"How is that?"

"I relish in the power it brings, how powerful it makes you feel but no, watching another man stop breathing and knowing it's because of me is not something I particularly enjoy nor I ever will. Death is not a pretty thing"

Elena nodded silently, somehow trying to understand his words and what they meant. "Why are you _the capo di tutti capi_? It's because your father was?"

He moved slightly so he could rest on his side as well, wincing faintly when his wound brushed against the bed. "No, it's because I've earned it!" She was about to ask how but the look he gave her signaled that she wouldn't want to know the details. "But before my father there hadn't been one in ages"

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's why the commission was created, to keep every family at bay since there wasn't a boss who could reign over all of them."

"But the commission still exists right?" Elena asked, recalling something she heard Caroline mention the other day.

Damon nodded, a smirk forming on his lips, "They do but we all know they're not the ones who hold the power. I am." In the darkness of the night his shining eyes and mischievous smile were frightening, but instead of scaring her it sent an electrifying thrill down her back which she felt down to her toes. Elena wondered briefly if it was possible she was already losing her mind.

"He most have been a very powerful man."

"Yes he was."

She moved closer to him on the bed and staring at him intently, as his eyes darted towards her lips she licked them instinctively. "What was he like?"

Damon seemed taken aback by her question, but he didn't take long to compose himself. "He was hard. He wanted for us to be the best, ever since I was a little boy he groomed me for the life he wanted me to have."

Elena detected a sad tone in his voice and instantly wanted to know more about the man that had raised her husband. "What do you mean he groomed you?"

"He made me the best!" he stated simply but when he saw the questioning look in her eyes, he knew that she expected more than one simple sentence. "When I was a little boy I was scared of roaches…"

"I don't think there's anyone who isn't" Elena murmured.

"They terrified me to death, he was present one day when I saw one and ran to my mom asking her to kill it. The next day he arrived with a wooden box… it was filled with them." He swallowed and Elena's eyes darted to his Adam's apple bobbing up and down nervously, "He put me inside and locked it, he said I had to overcome my fear and kill them all If I wanted to be free."

"Oh God!" Elena covered her mouth with her hands, feeling nauseous at the harsh actions of the cruel man against an innocent boy.

"I was terrified… I couldn't even kill them all. I started stomping them, the hissing sound was louder than anything I've ever heard before but then they started crawling up my arms and I froze, I couldn't move. I cried and cried, it felt like hours passed until the cover was removed and there was my mom, with tears in her eyes and a bruised cheek. She had come to save me."

Elena stared at him horrified, the image of a crying little boy with frightened blue eyes would forever be etched on her brain now. "How old were you?"

"I was six"

"Oh Damon…"

"Ask me if I fear them now? I don't. It was awful but I overcame my fear." There was a proud note in his voice and Elena felt sick, thinking that he thought of that as a good experience somehow.

"Damon that was terrible… what he did was awful!" she almost shouted in complete outrage, upset on behalf of the boy who had to grow up under the tutelage of a tyrant like that.

"He was making me strong Elena," he raised a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't think too much about it"

"How could I not? That was child abuse!"

He chuckled sadly, "He knew who I was supposed to be when I grew up, he wanted me to be able to endure it." Elena was completely horrified, both at the man's actions and at Damon's belief that he had done it for his best.

"It's still awful. Was he always like that?"

"He taught the hardest lessons."

Elena stayed in horrified silence for a few seconds, her gaze lingering on the oddly open blue eyes in front of her. "Damon… if we have children…"

"When we have children," he corrected her and she huffed in indignation

"What?" he asked with a smirk

"Don't I have a choice in the matter"

He chuckled, "I didn't mean it like that _cara_ , don't overthink. Every married couple eventually has children; it was just because of that."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Whatever. Would you do that to your children?"

"Lock them in a wooden box with bugs? Of course not!"

Elena adjusted her position so her head was now resting on top of both of her hands; the image was incredibly innocent and made an ache grow in Damon's chest. "You know what I mean"

"No Elena, I wouldn't!" he said hardheartedly.

"Why not? Isn't that something expected of you. For your children to follow in your footsteps."

"Yes but I would never force this lifestyle onto someone," she looked at him mockingly with a raised eyebrow. "You were already deep in this lifestyle love, you just didn't realize it, but what I mean is that I will never force those decisions on my children although there's nothing I would like more than for them to take over the business one day, I have the belief that this lifestyle is not something you can impose, in order to be the best you have to want it. Besides I am not my father!"

Her eyes were steely as she looked at him, "Good, because I am not your mother either."

He smiled and moved an inch closer to her, "I know _tesoro_ , I know." He brushed his nose against hers and ghosted his lips over hers. "Too many questions for one night, doll"

"I know," she answered in a shaky voice, his closeness always made her feel out of balance. "But I just want you to know I hate your father."

He stroked her cheek softly, "Don't… you're too pure to be hating on people."

"I don't think I am… I do hate him," she whispered as he moved back and clicked off the lamplight, the room caste in complete darkness. "I hate him for what he did to you."

"He made me strong"

Silence surrounded them before Elena spoke up again, "No, you made yourself strong!"

Elena turned her back to him and raised the sheet until it stopped below her chin; she closed her eyes and tried to steady her breath when she felt him curling behind her, his lips pressing a soft kiss on the exposed skin of her shoulders. This was the first night he was spooning her since he went to Russia and it surprised Elena how much she had missed it, to have his skin against hers and his male smell surrounding her felt heavenly.

" _Buona notte bambolina!_ " he whispered in her ear.

" _Sogni d'oro Damon_!" she answered and felt him smiling against her skin.

* * *

 _Cara mia – my darling_

 _Piccolina – little one_

 _Tesoro - treasure_

 _Buona notte bambolina – Good night doll_

 _Sogni d'oro Damon – sweet dreams Damon_

* * *

 **BTW a special message to ScarletRose and everyone who told me about Bound by Honor.**

 **I see where you could have seen the similarities between the stories, thought I don't think they're that alike. I started the book out of curiosity and I was so hooked so fast! It was being wonderful and everything I love in a book until I reached the cheating part, this thing has always been a pet peeve of mine and I honestly couldn't continue the book after that, it was made in such a cruel raw way that I felt terrible for the heroine and I couldn't bring myself to read more. I am absolutely sure it's a great story, I liked the characters a lot but I just can't see past that and that's a total boomer because I'm sure I would have loved the story otherwise.**


	12. A love that consumes you

**I'm pretty nervous about this one, I really really hope you like it.**

 **Thanks for sticking up with me despite your hatred for Damon, your words mean the world to me.**

 **And as always thanks to Amber because she's the best beta out there!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful."

 **-OSCAR WILDE-**

 **.**

 **.**

Three days passed before Elena was able to see her best friend again, Bonnie arrived at dusk, but alone, since Miranda couldn't accompany her. Although Elena was disappointed because she had been missing her mother quite badly and looking forward to seeing her, she was happy that at least she got a chance to see her friend after such a long time.

They spent every minute of that night talking, Elena even stayed with her friend instead of going to bed with her husband. What took her by surprise was how much she missed sleeping next to him; with his warm body curled up against her and his strong arms holding her flush to himself; a fact she didn't even want to acknowledge let alone process.

The girls were currently lounging by the pool, sipping delicious Mai Tais, and being waited on hand and foot by Damon's numerous staff, one of the many perks of his status. Bonnie was complaining about Jeremy's latest antics, the girl swore that this was the absolute last time that she had forgiven him and if he did something like this to her again it would be the end of their relationship

"You always say that, Bonnie," Elena reminded her as she saw a smiling Caroline approach them.

"Can I join you both?" the perky blonde asked and the girls nodded.

"But I mean Anna?" Bonnie continued rambling on. "I can't believe he went there; he knows how much I hate her."

Caroline laid down on the lounge chair besides them and grabbed one of the drinks Elena offered her, "What are we talking about?"

Elena snorted, "My brother!"

"Who is such an asshole! I found him rolling around on the sheets with that slut Anna," Bonnie huffed violently. "And it's not the first time."

Caroline stared at the girl dumbfounded for a few seconds before answering, "Why are you still with him?"

"Exactly!" Elena said.

"I love him!" Bonnie offered quietly. "But you know what? I'm tired of being his doormat, maybe it's time I pay him in kind," she said while eyeing something in the distance.

Caroline followed her gaze to realize she was staring at Enzo speculatively. "Oh no, no, no!" she exclaimed anxiously.

"Why not?" queried Bonnie.

Elena looked at them confused, "No what?"

Caroline pointed to the man standing in the distance and Elena's eyes widened when she realized who her friend had been staring at. "That's a big no no Bonnie!"

"He's hot as hell and I've caught him staring at me a few times!" Bonnie said rebelliously with a sullen pout.

"And dangerous as hell too," Caroline said. "You can't just mess around with a man like Enzo"

"Why not? I'll just have fun!"

"No, no, no Bonnie," Elena pleaded with her best friend. "Promise me, no?"

"Fine!" The girl rolled her eyes. "I'll behave!"

Their conversation turned to lighter subjects as the minutes trickled by and the drinks kept flowing. Elena was feeling more than a little buzzed and was really enjoying spending quality time with her friend without having to worry about what was going on in Damon's head, of course that was until Caroline decided to bring him into the conversation.

"Something's changed!" she said emphatically.

"Nothing's changed," Elena answered while Bonnie looked at her with a raised eyebrow

"Well I don't hear death threats as often as before, so I think something's changed," Caroline snickered before Elena punched her arm playfully.

"We're just trying to be civil towards each other," Elena said but couldn't hide the small smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah right!" Bonnie said before downing the rest of her drink.

"I'm being serious!"

Elena was having a real hard time trying to keep her feelings for Damon at bay; she didn't even know where they had come from and besieged her. Like for instance she hadn't seen him all day because he had been locked in his office the entire morning with Stefan and Alaric, discussing things she didn't want to know about, and she resented that they had taken up the few hours he spent with her in the morning. What worried her was why, why had she been missing him, when had she become so used to spending time with him, that not seeing him was causing her to feel so out of sorts.

She tried to lock all those feelings and thoughts away but she was finding it harder and harder to do so with each passing day. He had snuck up on her and no matter how much she tried she couldn't get her heart to stop wanting him around.

"Okay I am officially drunk!" Bonnie declared some time later, Caroline and Elena looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

"Then let's go drunky, it's time to get you to bed!"

It was way past ten and evidently better if they cut their affair short, especially since Elena was sure that if she let Bonnie ingest more alcohol, she was going to forget about her promise to keep away from Enzo.

On their way back to the house they saw a tall and beautiful woman with light brown, wavy hair and green eyes, entering through the main gate. She was wearing a tight black dress, skyrocket heels and had a very sultry look about her. Elena felt like she was punched in the gut when she saw her husband grinning at her before enveloping her in a hug.

"Rose is here!" Caroline beamed, completely oblivious to Elena's stony reaction to the woman's presence.

"Rose?" Elena questioned.

"She's the daughter of the Las Vegas boss," Caroline said in a whisper. "She's here for some meeting they have with the commission, Stefan has been most tightlipped about it."

"The commission?" Elena asked with genuine interest.

"Something to do with the Mikaelsons' but like I said Stefan doesn't want to say anything about it!" the blonde said in complete astonishment. "Which is weird because he always tells me everything."

"Can we talk about this in the room? Because I think I might pass out at any moment," Bonnie said snapping Elena's attention back to her friend.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Do you mind if I catch up with you later?" Caroline asked as her eyes moved back to the Salvatore brothers standing at the gate with the girl named Rose.

"No, don't worry about it," Elena bit out tersely, before taking Bonnie towards the back entrance of the house, as the blonde girl merrily skipped towards the reunion at the gates.

Elena didn't understand why she was so upset; why did she care if Damon hugged another woman? She was getting annoyed with herself at how irrationally jealous she was feeling.

She stayed with Bonnie until midnight and then headed to her room only to find it empty, not that she expected otherwise, Damon was probably still in his 'meeting'. She took a hot shower as her mind churned around with thoughts of her husband once again.

She didn't enjoy the feeling of bile rising in her stomach as she thought of Damon with anyone else. She felt a raging fire of anger building inside her and as she crawled underneath the covers she wondered how on earth had she reached this point in her life in a matter of few weeks? She barely thought about Elijah or Katherine anymore, her thoughts were plagued with Damon and nothing more.

She was too riled up to sleep so she tossed and turned in bed and was about to give up and head into the kitchen when he walked in, his hair was tousled and his eyes were weary as they looked at her. "I thought you'd be asleep already."

Her eyes were firmly fixed on her phone as she scrolled through her social media trying to look nonchalant, "Well you were wrong." Her tone was clipped and a frown appeared on his forehead. Things between them had been more relaxed and civil lately so he found it odd that she was acting so surly towards him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!"

Damon shrugged coolly as he headed into the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he walked. Elena huffed and dropped her phone next to her once he had disappeared from her sight. She was fuming but more than feeling anger towards him she was furious with herself, for being foolish enough to have these strong feelings for him; feelings he clearly didn't deserve.

He didn't take long in the shower, so when he walked out, she was still awake. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and water dripped from his hair. If there was one thing that annoyed her beyond measure, it was the fact that he looked extremely handsome with sex appeal oozing out of every pore, at any given moment, and no matter how angry she was with him, the desire to jump his bones was always lurking right around the corner.

He went to the dresser and put on some briefs and pajama pants while Elena pretended not to look, but the truth was that the sight of her husband's naked backside was just too tempting to ignore and she felt her heartbeat accelerate as she licked her lips involuntarily. Damon went to switch off the lights and when the room was wrapped in complete darkness she finally asked what she had been dying to know.

"Did you fuck her?"

If the lights had been on she would have seen the way his eyes widened in surprise only to be followed by a signature smirk on his lips. "Who?"

"That girl, Rose," Elena hated herself for giving him the satisfaction of knowing she somehow cared about what he did. "Did you?"

She watched as his shadowed silhouette walked towards the bed, "Rose is one of my oldest and most trusted friends so no Elena, I have never fucked her."

She desperately wanted to believe that his words didn't relieve her immensely, or bring any satisfaction and that she didn't give a damn, but she knew better. Whether she liked it or not, she cared about Damon and what he had been doing with his time. She suddenly realized that she might be in trouble, she might be falling in too deep.

"Are you jealous?"

She huffed in response trying to act indifferent, "No Damon, of course I'm not jealous. Why would I be?"

She heard him chuckle in the darkness and the next thing she knew he was removing the comforter from her body and had gripped both of her ankles with his hands, "I beg to differ." He dragged her body down the bed until her feet were resting on each side of his hips.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly her legs trembling, she was feeling weak with desire and felt her core twinge with want.

He leaned down between her now open and trembling legs and whispered in her ear, "Green isn't your color _tesoro_ "

"I already told you, I'm not..." his tongue slid out from his mouth as he leaned forward to trace the outline of her lower lip with it. Elena shuddered at the contact and felt him smirking against her lips, "What are you doing?" she breathed out shakily, every nerve ending alert and strung with tension. Her body felt tight and goose bumps appeared all over her skin, every inch sensitized with the anticipation of his delicious touch.

"What I've been dying to do since I first saw you." He lowered his head and started dragging his nose through the exposed skin on her neck, his tongue trailing down as he nipped her every now and then, his fingers brushing down as he gently cupped her breasts and let his thumbs lightly press her pebbled nipples. His hands were exploring every inch of her body reverently, making her feel as if she was the most precious woman he had ever caressed. Elena's head was thrown back as her hands gripped the bed sheets on each side of her, she was lost in the overwhelming sensations that assailed her, overtook her until she didn't know where she began and he ended, until there was no reality other than this unquenchable hunger, this wild passion.

She could feel his hard body pressed against hers, making her skin prickle and her eyes roll back, "I shouldn't…" she babbled on as he pressed a wet kiss on the center of her chest, right between her breasts. Her nipples were already hard and poking through her thin camisole, now demanding the attention of his lips on them.

"You should!" he moved back and stood up with her legs raised up and her feet on his shoulders, "I've never seen anything more beautiful!"

Elena's mind was hazy with lust as she stared at him; her breathing rapid, as winded moans escaped her, she was aching to run her fingers through the hard ridges of his chest and stomach, the slick dampness between her legs grew with each passing minute he looked at her like that. She never knew her body could feel so much pleasure, each nerve ending felt like it was ablaze. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, she wanted to consume him and be consumed in return. The electrifying tingle between their body was pulsing out of control making them loose their senses.

" _Sto per divorarti cara mia!_ " he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her tiny shorts and dragged them down her legs right alongside her panties. His eyes almost black with desire, his voice husky with passion, his arousal evident, he looked like a wild creature, feral with need.

"Damon…" she moaned as his lust-filled eyes drank her in. This was the first time she had been this exposed to someone's desirous gaze but instead of feeing ashamed or embarrassed she felt powerful, it was her who was making him ragged with need, it was her that he wanted so desperately. She felt a raging need burning inside her, she was afraid it was going to incinerate her and consume her whole.

" _Bellisima_!" he whispered in reverent awe as he spread her legs further apart and leaned down in front of her, his mouth smattering butterfly kisses all over her inner thighs, Elena bit back a moan and clenched her eyes shut at the feel of his ravenous lips on her hot skin. They were spiraling out of control with desire, both of them in throes of a passion that threatened to devour them.

"What are you doing to me?" she panted breathlessly and when his tongue finally made contact with her center she couldn't control the jerk that went through her body and the loud cry that left her lips. She cried out as unbelievable pleasure pulsed through her as she completely let go of her shy inhibitions and thrust herself towards his mouth.

" _Cazzo_!" Damon muttered gutturally at the flick of his tongue against her folds, he was feeling frenzied at the first taste of her, with finally having her exposed to him. His heart pounded uncontrollably and he felt about to combust when he delved his tongue inside her. It was better than his wildest dreams, her sweet taste short circuiting the pleasure center of his brains till he thought he would explode with the need to inhale her very essence.

"Fuck Damon!" Elena cried as her hands gripped the bed sheets and she thrashed violently. His fingers were parting her nether lips as his tongue lapped her flesh greedily; the wet sounds of his tongue filled her ears as the fire pooling in her lower stomach started to grow.

She felt his fingers inside her twisting and turning finding her sweet spot till she bucked her hips hard, his tongue drinking in her dripping wetness, his hair tickling her inner thighs. Every sense, every nerve in her body was overloaded and she could feel it all, she felt she would explode into smithereens by the sheer force of pleasure. Damon was doing things to her body she didn't even know were possible, never when touching herself Elena had reached such heights.

"Are you ready _cara_?" He asked against her flesh. She had lost track of all time, she couldn't recall how long she had been lying there on the bed, his tongue meting out tortuous pleasure but when her eyes looked down and found him staring at her lasciviously as his mouth closed around her clit she lost all reason, her vision faded to black as the world shattered around her until there was nothing left but the two of them.

Incoherent babbles left her mouth as her orgasm ripped through her body, not once did he stop flicking his tongue sliding across the taut bundle of nerves. "It's too much," she whined as her orgasm subsided "…Too much." Sweat trickled down her back as the world came into focus again.

When he rose above her Elena saw his mouth glistening with the evident sign of arousal but instead of feeling disgusted by the sight she took hold of the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, tasting herself on his tongue.

He bit her lip and then pulled back slightly, their lips barely touching as they breathed in each other's air. "You are perfect," he murmured, her hands travelled the expanse of his chest, delighting at the feel of his skin on her fingertips.

"I've never- I haven't..." she stuttered, he looked at her tenderly before kissing her lips softly once again.

"I know"

"But you still..." she looked down at the impressive bulge in his briefs with widened eyes. He chuckled and leaned down to press their foreheads together.

"Just lay here," he said before moving so he was now at her side instead of on top of her and propped himself on his elbow, hovering over her whilst being careful not to hurt his wound.

"Damon…" she breathed out when he pulled her camisole up, exposing her perky, rosy pink nipples and heavy breasts to his eyes. Elena could feel wetness drip down her legs again.

"Oh fuck Elena," he cursed before moving his head so he could suck one of the pink tips into his mouth. "So fucking perfect."

She panted as his tongue played with her breasts a few seconds, as his hand lowered his briefs, exposing his thick member to her eyes. She felt breathless looking at him, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. She clenched her core tightly rocking her thighs back and forth.

He moved back and started stroking himself as he watched her, groaning erratically as he closed his eyes, she stared mesmerized as his hand moved up and down his shaft frantically, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as he moved a finger through his tip. "Damon…" she moaned involuntarily as his rhythm increased, his whole body was coiled with tension, the veins on his neck bulged as he threw his head back in pleasure. She almost came again just watching him, she felt wanton and crazed with lust as she slid her fingers down her aching core.

"Fuck Elena," he groaned as he moved a bit closer to her, his eyes transfixed at the sight of her fingers on her exposed pussy "…fuck!" His member jerked, making contact with her inner thigh and Elena threw her head back moaning, her hands moving up to play with her breast as she felt his thick head so close to her wet folds.

The warm head of his cock touched her naked flesh once again and Elena knew that if he nudged a bit further he would be inside her and she would not move a finger to stop him, she felt out of control, she would do anything he would ask of her at this point. She wanted him deep inside her, filling her up till she exploded around him.

Elena saw his muscles contract and couldn't help herself, she moved her hand to his lower abs and stroked his manhood feeling the hard ridges, her simple touch was enough to throw him over the edge and he came with a guttural grunt between her exposed thighs, and he roared out his release as she came with him again.

He let himself fall on his back next to her; both were panting and still tingling with lust, their minds in a miasma of electric passion, they hadn't been able to pull out of as yet.

After what felt like hours of them lying there in silence, he stood up and went to the bathroom returning with a wet cloth, he cleaned her between her legs, a gesture so tender it totally warmed Elena's heart.

She put her clothes back on and crawled under the sheets once again as he disappeared back in the bathroom. Her body felt languid and a sleepy fog started to overwhelm her. He returned and got under the covers as well, their bodies moving in sync as they assumed their nightly position, she on her side while he spooned her.

" _Buona note bambolina"_

" _Buona note Damon_ ," she said with a smile on her lips.

* * *

 ** _tesoro -_ treasure**

 ** _cazzo -_ shit**

 ** _Bellisima -_ gorgeous**

 ** _Sto per divorarti cara_ mia - I'm going to devour you my darling**

 ** _Buona note bambolina -_ Good night baby doll**

* * *

So? What do you think?


	13. Your love redeems me

**It's almost friday!**

 **So just enjoy!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me."

 **-Gaston Leroux-**

.

.

The weeks following Damon's recovery were extremely hectic for Elena; her semester was coming to an end, so she had to throw herself into school projects and exams with gusto, added to that was the pressure of Caroline and Stefan's imminent nuptials, for which Elena was constantly dragged around the entire city by her perfectionist friend, for any and everything wedding related. A pang of sadness hit her every time she watched her enthusiastic friend getting excited about the preparations, whether it be a new flavor of cake or the perfect flowers, or the place cards, the bride-to-be was so excited about her wedding that Elena wished she herself could have been as passionate as Caroline, when she had got married to Damon. She couldn't help but feel cheated at the the turn of events that led to her arranged marriage.

After a lot of convincing on their part they finally managed to convince Damon to let them out of the house, as he had forbidden any of them to step out because of the impending Mikaelson threat. Since weeks had passed without any incidents or sighting of them, he agreed to let them roam the streets of New York City, albeit with Enzo constantly breathing down their necks; although by now Elena was realizing that he was actually a pretty funny guy and she didn't mind his company.

Caroline took her to all the touristic places in New York; they took a cruise on the bay, walked through Times Square, they went to the top of the Empire State building and got lost in Central Park. Elena was falling madly in love with the city, she was sure that there was nothing more magical than New York in winter.

She was enjoying every minute spent in this spectacular city with its architectural treasures, outdoor cafés, rooftop bars, beautiful parks, vibrant fashion scene, atmospheric booksellers and curio shops. NYC's livewire energy delighted her and she felt like she could loose herself in the myriad experiences that overwhelmed her senses; the unique flavors of Chinatown with its brightly painted Buddhist temples, ornate pagodas, its numerous stands selling exotic foods, Canal Street with its various jewelry stores and gift shops, the many restaurants and pushy hawkers of Little Italy. Every neighborhood offered its own unique version of the city, molded by the people living there, whose back stories and ethnic traditions lent their own unique romance to the city. From the affluent and culturally rich neighborhoods of the Upper West Side to the bohemian vibe of the Greenwich Village, she loved walking in New York.

She was slowly adjusting to the city and synchronizing with its rhythm but her husband still remained the biggest contradiction in Elena's life. After his near-death experience, which she was guessing wasn't the first and neither would it be the last, he had changed towards her. No, he hadn't turned into a Romeo sweeping her off her feet every chance he got, but he was sweeter than before, she no longer saw the frozen mask that he hid behind make an appearance as frequently as before, in fact they had been spending a lot of quality time together.

They had returned to the pizzeria owned by Enzo's family a couple of times, he had taken her to Broadway, they went to the movies a lot and she had even managed to convince him to go ice skating with her in Rockefeller Center.

There was nothing she liked more than to watch him smile, in those moments he reminded her of the guy she had met at her party and not the callous man she had been forced to marry. Damon could be quite charming when he wanted to be and was slowly but surely and perhaps without realizing it, carving a spot deep inside her heart.

But then there were moments when he pulled back from her, it was almost like whenever he caught himself having fun and enjoying himself with her he would suddenly retreat and the cold mask would reappear on his face. It confused the shit out of Elena, his moods changed so fast that she was surprised they hadn't give her a whiplash yet. He was the most mercurial person she had ever met and the constant to and fro was wearing her down a bit.

At times he could be the sweetest person; like a few days ago, he found her watching Project Runway and babbling about what she would do if she had a workshop like that and two days later Elena woke to find one of the rooms filled with rows and rows of fabric, a brand new sewing machine, mannequins, pads, color pencils and every single thing a designer might possibly need. She had felt a warm tenderness spreading through her body and curling around her heart in a sweet embrace; because this was different from the gifts of jewelry and clothes he usually bought her, this was not an attempt to bribe her this was his endeavor to gift her her innermost precious dream.

But then there were the occasions when he acted like a total jerk, a controlling bastard and they would end up screaming at each other until their throats were raw. He was two very different people at once and what scared Elena the most was that she was starting to crave the company of both of them. She liked the sweet, thoughtful guy that resurfaced once in a while but she also liked the dark monster that made an occasional appearance. He excited her but not in a way that scared her, she knew now that he would never hurt her.

Damon was passion personified and the darkness inside of him beckoned to her, calling her in to explore, tantalizing her so much that she wondered if she was losing her mind as sometimes she wanted to be swallowed whole by that darkness. Consumed!

They were currently getting ready to go to a fancy cocktail party with Damon's associates connected with his restaurant business and not the mafia world. It was the first time they were going somewhere, where she would be meeting people who weren't his direct family and she was feeling a little nervous about it.

"You look beautiful!" he said as he watched her inspecting herself critically in the floor length mirror. She was wearing a tight lacy black dress with a low neckline that for some reason reminded her of the one Julia Roberts wore in 'Pretty Woman'.

"Thank you!" she smiled warmly before running her fingers through her hair to give it a messy look. "I'm all ready."

"Give me a second," he said, taking a tie out of his drawer and placing it around his neck. Elena walked towards him and took the piece of clothing between her hands, fixing it herself. "You should have worn one of yours," he said gesturing towards her dress while her hands were busy tying the knot in his tie.

"Please, I wouldn't want to make a fool of myself," she said with a smile.

"Sorry? I've seen what you can do with a piece of fabric Elena, you're very talented," her cheeks turned a shade of pink at his words. "You could start a business with that. I could help you."

Elena sighed as she finished with his tie and stepped away a few centimeters, "I don't really like that idea." It reminded her of the time her father had offered to buy her a boutique. Making clothes was something she loved, it was something that belonged only to her and she didn't want it to be something handed to her on a silver platter.

"Why not?"

"I want it to be mine," she answered while looking straight into his eyes, and he nodded in understanding.

"No help then," he murmured. "You can start something online, Stefan could help you with that, he's kind of a computer genius." A hint of mockery could be heard in his voice, "That way it would be yours, starting from zero but showing the world what you can do."

Elena regarded him thoughtfully as he took a jacket from the closet and put it on, it was something she hadn't thought about before but that actually sounded like a great idea. "Have you been watching Netflix lately?" she asked in a teasing tone remembering the time she came into the room and found him watching Britt Robertson's new show.

He fought back a smile as he answered, "No!"

"It could work!"

"Yes it could!" he offered her his arm and she took it as they walked out of the room.

The party was in a very swanky hotel and before entering Damon whispered a warning in her ear, "Don't let anything they say get to you, it's a den of wolves inside."

Elena had no clue what he was talking about, but after only a few minutes of being there and seeing every damn woman throw herself at her husband, she got a pretty good idea of what he had been referring to.

It amazed Elena, the impact Damon had on people, and not just women but men as well. He was their king and they all wanted to bow to him. He walked with his head held high and his eyes fierce, power oozed out of him, his commanding stride made every eye in the room turn to him, there was no doubt who was the dominant alpha in that room and they all seemed to accept it.

Damon was right, Elena had to hear more than one sugarcoated ill-intentioned comment directed towards her throughout the duration of the night, but she knew how to handle them. After all she had grown up in Chicago's high society, and with no less than Katherine as her sister; there was nothing and no one she couldn't take on.

He barely let her out of his sight; his hand always remained a constant on her lower back, letting her know he was next to her. He introduced her to people, charmed the guests, drank, laughed and made merry. He was playing a part, Elena realized after a few moments, one of the many masks her husband wore so effortlessly.

She wondered briefly if it was a survival strategy; if he had so many masks people would never know which one was the real one and if you don't know the real man, you can never know his weakness, therefore you can never defeat him. But would he know which one was the real one himself? Or were they all the real ones somehow? Or had he forgotten what was real and did he need it or miss it? So many questions and none that she had any answers for!

Elena still couldn't help flinching a little whenever she was introduced as Elena Salvatore; it was hard for her to think that this was who she was now; the wife of the most powerful man in the country.

At some point during the night Damon's humor started to change and he tensed, Elena was so attuned to his moods that she recognized it at once, he took her hand and made a quick round of goodbyes before they walked out of the hotel. He didn't say a word to her as they walked towards the car where the driver was waiting for them.

Once inside, Damon put the privacy screen up and exhaled loudly as he removed the tie from his neck and popped open the top buttons of his shirt, "There's only so much of that I could take."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked with a frown as she watched him run his hand through his perfectly styled hair, leaving a mess in its wake.

"Everybody in there wanted something from me," he murmured sounding totally frustrated and aggravated, his expressions exposing a very rare openness, "I'm not who they think they are. Being someone else can be very tiring _cara_."

"I understand," she said with a small empathetic nod.

"I don't think you do," he turned his head slightly and smiled sadly at her. "You are genuine, so transparent," he stretched his hand and caressed her cheeks, her eyes closing involuntarily at the feel of his skin against hers.

"…Damon!" his name came out of her lips like a breathless whisper as she felt a familiar tingle electrify her senses, she just couldn't help her body's immediate reaction to his touch.

" _Mi hai fatto perdere la testa_ ," he murmured absently before taking her in his arms and dragging her on top of his body until she was straddling him, her legs open, on either side of him. "I saw the way every man was looking at you tonight," his stormy blue eyes burned with desire and a hint of jealous rage as he looked at her. "They all wanted to be me but they can't have you or touch you. _Tu sei solo mia tesoro, mia."_

His hand hitched her dress up until they exposed her black lacy panties to his eyes, " _Sei irresistible cara mia_ ," he breathed out as his fingers skimmed through the fabric of her underwear, his eyes darkening with desire.

Elena threw her head back when she felt him touching her "Irresistible." He kept murmuring incoherently as his mouth found her breasts and he started sucking and biting through the soft material of her dress, driving her crazy with wanton need. She craved for his touch fervently, as longing for him coursed rampant through her entire body.

"…Fuck Damon," she moaned uncontrollably as she started rocking on top of him, desperate to create friction, she could feel how hard he was and there was nothing she wanted more than to feel him deep inside of her. She had no idea why he hadn't take her yet despite knowing that at this point she would not resist him, could not resist him, she wanted him like she had not wanted anything before.

" _Vieni qui!_ " he murmured as he lifted his head and dragged her face towards him, their lips touched and an inferno unleashed inside her. He took hold of her hips and started moving her on top of him, her panty-clad pussy rubbing shamelessly against his clothed erection as their tongues fought against each other ardently. " _La tua bocca mi fa impazzire,_ " he murmured against her lips sounding as frenzied as she was feeling, and Elena could feel the tale-tell tingle of her imminent orgasm. Damon completely forgot English when he was aroused and out of control and there was nothing that turned on Elena more than him speaking in Italian. " _Bellisima, bellisima!_ " he whispered before his teeth bit into her lip and her orgasm crashed through her.

"Damon…!" she shouted, not giving a damn that the driver could hear the sounds of their passionate make-out session and probably had a good idea of what they had been doing.

They kissed for what felt like hours, and as her orgasm subsided, wet sound filled the cramped space of the car as she lay on top of him. Their lips playing lazily with each other, their breathing heavy as they panted against each other. His hand moved up and down her back, caressing her gently and she felt the heaviness of sleep threatening to overtake her. "Rest _Tesoro,_ " he whispered against her lips, "Rest!" He gave her one last kiss before moving her so she could snuggle more comfortably against him, her head finding the crook of his neck as he placed his chin on top of her head and kept rubbing her back lovingly.

" _Tu sei un dono del cielo, cara mia,_ " he whispered and felt her smiling against the skin of his neck, he was sure she had no idea what he had just said but she always liked it when he spoke to her in Italian, the thought brought a smile to his own lips.

When they arrived at the house, Elena was fast asleep, so he carried her in his arms to their bedroom. She did not even stir a bit, if there was something Damon admired about her, it was how deeply she could sleep.

He placed her gently on the bed and covered her body with the comforter, before stroking her cheek gently and staring at her for a few seconds, it always amazed him how beautiful she looked while she slept.

Damon left the room and headed towards his home office to have a brief meeting with Stefan and Alaric; the Mikaelson were still hidden and that troubled him, it wasn't like Klaus to hold onto his temper for so long.

"Updates?" Damon asked as he walked inside to find Stefan and Alaric already sitting there.

"He was supposedly spotted in Vegas but we have no idea if the source can be trusted or not," Alaric said grimly while Damon took a seat behind the desk.

"A whisper is all we need," Damon answered as he leaned back on his chair. "He's in the country then!"

"We killed his brother Damon, I didn't expect him to stay in Russia for long," his consigliore said worriedly.

Damon nodded as his eyes focused at some far point in the distance, "That's why it had me so worried, it's not normal for him to stay quiet for so long especially not after losing one of his own." He took a deep breath, a frown appearing on his forehead as he thought about what this development could mean, "What about Trevor, Stefan. Did he talk as yet?"

His brother looked around the room, nervous for a few moments, "No, he hasn't said a word." Ric and Damon exchanged a worried look as Damon propped his elbows on the table and looked at his brother straight in the eye, "Stefan… we can have Enzo do the questioning if you like." Alaric nodded alongside his boss, even though they both knew it was something out of the ordinary to allow that.

Stefan was Damon's underboss, if something happened to Damon the entire organization would be his responsibility, but both Damon and Ric knew that Stefan had too much of a compassionate heart to mete out a brutal questioning session. Giuseppe had never allowed either Stefan or Damon the freedom to choose whether they wanted to be a part of this business or not, but Stephan tried his utmost to do what was expected of him because he always wanted to make his father happy.

Damon wanted to give his brother a way out but knew that in their line of work it was impossible and he also knew that Stefan wouldn't accept it; he was a proud man and family always came first. So instead Damon did all he could to protect him and preserve the part of his brother that was still pure.

"No, Damon I can do it!" Stefan lifted his chin as his green eyes looked resolutely at his brother.

"Stefan…"

"I can get the job done Damon!" he said without the barest hint of a doubt. Ric and Damon nodded once again before dropping the subject.

A few more words were exchanged before both men were excused and Damon headed once again to his bedroom. He took a long hot shower and then proceeded to watch his wife sleep.

He sat on the oversized, cream leather reclining chair in the corner of the room, a tumbler in his hand as he watched the rise and fall of his wife's chest as she slept peacefully between the covers. Her face was turned in his direction and a small smile graced her lips, he wondered what she was dreaming about.

She looked so angelical and innocent that Damon felt a twinge of guilt in his chest as he stared at her, this beautiful creature he had dragged into his darkness.

He still couldn't explain his actions regarding her; when he had seen her at that party three years ago all he knew was that he had to have her, there had been something in her that called to him, so he had cornered her father and offered everything he wanted in exchange for her hand in marriage. Grayson had agreed immediately but Damon had decided to give her more time, she was barely eighteen at the time and he wanted her to enjoy her freedom for a little while longer.

Why did he do that?

Neither Caroline nor Stefan had been very keen on the idea of him forcing marriage onto the girl and had questioned his motives over and over again. Why? Why her? If Katherine Gilbert, a woman far more suited to his lifestyle, was falling all over herself to be his wife, why was it Elena that he chose?

Damon still didn't know the answer to that question himself. All he knew was that he had wanted her and so he had got her, just like his father had taught him, to get what you want at all costs.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that once again his father had controlled his actions without him even knowing it. He had uprooted Elena out of her life as if she was a doll that he wanted to play with. He realized that this act made him resemble the older man more than he liked, he felt disgusted with himself every time he thought too hard about it.

And then there was Elena; he had dragged her out of her familar world into his without an iota of consideration for what she wanted and yet she didn't hate him. No matter how much she claimed otherwise, Damon knew that she did not hate him. Why, he wondered. She should hate him, had all the right to, he had done nothing but show her what a monster he was.

Elena was everything he wasn't; she was fun, light hearted, smart, passionate about the things she loved and most of all she was forgiving, there was a kindness in her that he hadn't seen in anyone in their world before. In the course of the last couple of weeks Damon had found himself being drawn irresistibly into her small little world.

He genuinely liked spending time with her, she surprised him with her excitement over the littlest of things, her stubbornness amused him, he appreciated her attempts to understand his business and talk about it, and her genuine and sincere effort to give him trusted advice.

Damon was beginning to have deep feelings for her, something stirred in his heart every time he looked at her, and he had spent more than one night doing exactly what he was doing at the moment, watching her sleep, dreading the moment when she would vanish in front of his eyes like a mirage.

He wanted her to love him, he wanted to be the center of her world and have her entire devotion centered on himself, he wanted to mean to her what he hadn't meant to anyone else before her.

Why? Why did he have to be such a brute to her then?

Why was it that every time he caught himself feeling tender towards her, worrying about her, wanting to do something to make her happy, he heard the harsh voice of his father in his head telling him it was a waste of time, he hadn't come into this world to love or be loved, he had come to kill, he had come to be a leader, and love would just make him weak.

Sometimes he worshiped the old man and sometimes he hated him. Damon knew that his father had broken something inside of him that he was never going to be able to fix completely but he had never resented him for it before, until she came in his life, or rather until he brought her into his life.

He wanted to be different for her, he wanted to be better because of her but that meant he couldn't be who he truly was. He was nothing but a monster and how could a monster be deserving of a heavenly creature like her? What was he supposed to do then?

He remembered the look on his mother's face when he had told her that Elena was going to be his wife and what he had done to ensure it. He was a ruthless man and his mother was fully aware of his criminal ways but she had never looked at him with such disappointment in her eyes as she did when he had told her about Elena. She had looked at him the way she always looked at Giuseppe, Damon hated that look, it reminded him of how alike he and the old boss truly were.

"Damon…?" Elena stirred and her sleepy eyes looked at him with confusion, "…What time is it?" she asked as she stretched her arms above her head, her tank top tightening around her full breasts.

His hungry eyes drank her in hungrily but he controlled the beast inside him, he was in a dark place and knew that if the beast came out he wouldn't be able to keep it at bay. "Late," he told her as he placed the tumbler in his hand back on the small table next to him. "You should go back to sleep."

"Yeah!" she murmured, half sleepy as she settled on her side, her long hair sprawled on the pillow. "Aren't you going to sleep yet?" her eyes were closing again so her words were a slurred sound.

"Yes, yes I am," he stood up and discarded his clothes as he walked towards the bed. Her breathing was evening out again and he knew it was a matter of minutes before she fell asleep again.

"I want to go home!" she murmured.

He froze mid step, his heart coming to a standstill, "What?"

Her brown eyes opened once again, traces of sleep still present in them, "Mother's birthday is coming, I want to be there."

He released a long breath shakily, relieved beyond measure that she didn't mean what he had thought she meant, before resuming his walk and finally reaching the bed. He climbed underneath the covers and like every night he curled himself behind her body, "I will take you home."

"You promise?" she asked, her eyes closing once again as she settled in the comfort of his embrace.

" _Si tesoro_ , I promise!" he kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck as her body drifted to sleep, a small smile adorning her lips again.

" _Hai conquistato il mio cuore bella mia,_ " he whispered against her skin but she could no longer hear him because she had given herself up to the world of dream completely. " _Penso che…io ti amo_ "

He was a beast, a monster with no redeeming qualities but something in her made him want to be better, to be the kind of man she deserved to be with, the husband she wished for. For the first time in his thirty-two years, Damon Salvatore wanted to be someone else.

The question was whether he was strong enough to fight the animal inside him.

* * *

 ** _mi hai fatto perdere la testa - you made me lose my head_**

 ** _Tu sei solo mia tesoro, mia" – you are just my treasure, mine_**

 ** _Sei irresistible cara mia – you are irresistible to me my dear_**

 ** _Vieni qui – come here_**

 ** _La tua bocca mi fa impazzire – your mouth makes me crazy_**

 ** _Belissima - gorgeous_**

 ** _Tesoro - treasure_**

 ** _Tu sei un dono del cielo cara mia – you're a gift from the heavens, my dear_**

 ** _Si Tesoro- yes treasure_**

 ** _Hai conquistato il mio cuore bella mia_ – you have conquered my heart, my beautiful**

 ** _Penso che…io ti amo – I think… I love you_**

* * *

 _REVIEW?_


	14. Fire & Ice

**THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading and taking the time to review! You guys make me feel so happy with your reviews, I really hope you enjoy this chapter and that you like the direction the story is taking.**

 **I want t thank Amber for being an over the top beta and helping me out so much.**

 **Here we go!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

.

 **-Robert Frost-**

 **.**

 **.**

Elena woke up the morning she was to fly home with a big smile on her face and a warm feeling in her chest. Her mother's birthday was in three day's time and today she was going back to Chicago to spend time with her family and the best thing was that both Damon and Caroline were accompanying her. The thought of going home with Damon really excited her, as she made a list of all the things she wanted to show and share with him.

She stretched her arms above her head in an indolent yawn and sank a little bit further into the enormous, luxurious bed, the high count Egyptian cotton sheets felt marvelous against her skin. The contented smile on her face deepened as her thoughts went to her husband; Damon had been so different with her lately. Ever since the night of his party when he had agreed to take her home for her mom's birthday, his whole demeanor towards her had changed, the cold mask had almost disappeared. He still had his infuriating moments when she felt like strangling him, but they were few and far between, in fact he had been incredibly sweet to her lately. There had been an imperceptible shift in their relationship and more often than not she caught him staring at her tenderly almost lovingly.

Sometimes this momentous change worried her; an insidious part of her brain kept warning her that she was becoming addicted to him, it kept recriminating and accusing her of acting like an overeager puppy scurrying around her master's legs, begging to be stroked behind the ears. It constantly kept making her question herself; after everything that he had done to her how could she still long for his affections? Was she experiencing some weird case of Stockholm syndrome? Had she lost her marbles? Elena closed her eyes and threw the covers off her body wanting to quiet the disturbing thoughts that her overactive brain kept churning around incessantly.

Since her semester was officially over and she had nothing left to do, she had asked Mrs. Flowers to teach her how to make chocolate fudge cake, which happened to be Damon's favorite. Of course she tried to fool herself into believing that it wasn't the sole reason behind her recent endeavor and that she simply wanted to occupy her time but another more honest part of her mocked her with the truth.

She hopped into the shower and bathed quickly, it was a chilly morning so she put on light blue thermals and a pair of jeans before heading to the kitchen where Alicia was working. With great patience, the elder woman explained the procedure to her and they started working on their project together.

Minutes trickled by and Elena was enjoying working next to the other woman tremendously, she was telling her stories about Damon and Stefan when they were little, as well as stories about her own life and about her daughter. During a particular anecdote there was something that caught Elena's attention and she debated with herself on whether it was appropriate for her to ask a member of the staff, no matter how close, about Damon's family matters, but in the ending decided to follow her instincts.

She was swirling the spoon around the chocolate ganache as Mrs. Flowers worked with the cake leveler, "How was Giuseppe Salvatore, Alicia?" Elena asked in the most indifferent tone she could manage.

The older woman stopped what she was doing momentarily, startled by the question that was posed to her, "What do you mean?"

"How was he as a father?" Elena asked and Mrs. Flowers looked at her briefly, sighing deeply before returning to her task of leveling the cake.

"He was a fair boss and incredibly generous, I have no complaints with him in that department but as a father…?" Alicia dropped the leveler and sat on one of the high tables in front of the bar stool. "I remember when my boy Damon was a kid, from the minute his dear mother brought him into the house he smiled and as he grew he became even more enchanting," she reminisced.

"I can imagine!" Elena smiled picturing how adorable her husband must have been as a toddler.

"He was so bright and cheerful. Always with a smile on his lips and those beautiful blue eyes shining so vividly, he was always running around the house, the entire staff was charmed by that boy." The old lady smiled nostalgically as her eyes seemed to be focused on some point in the distance, lost in the remembrance of old times, "…and then Mr. Giuseppe decided it was time for his son to learn how to be a man. My boy was around five or six when things started to change."

"Change how?" Elena dropped the spoon, and looked intently at the older woman all pretense of being only casually interested in conversation gone.

"There were no more smiles or shining blue eyes anymore. He became quiet and started to withdraw from everything. Mr. Salvatore took him to places where no child should be, I don't even want to imagine all the violence my boy saw in those days." Alicia's eyes were sad as she looked down and wiped a stray tear that escaped her eye. "Around that time was when little Stefan was born and Miss Lily, bless her heart put all of her energy into that baby, protecting him the way she couldn't do her eldest."

"Oh God" Elena whispered horrified as she pictured the dreadful childhood Damon had endured. While she had grown up being the princess of her house, surrounded by love and being spoiled by everyone he was being taught about violence and abandoned by the one person who should have protected him.

"I don't think Miss Lily will ever forgive herself for it," Alicia said shaking her head despondently. "I thought that Damon was going to resent Stefan's birth but it was exactly the opposite, he found refuge in that baby and as time went on he became his protector."

"What do you mean?"

Alicia smiled as she stared at her, "Stefan was always a mischievous boy, a little devil. Playing pranks here and there, his antics weren't always approved by Mr. Salvatore," she sighed. "But Damon was always there to save the day for his little brother, he took the blame and punishment for many of those tricks."

A half smile, tinged with sorrow, appeared on Elena's face, "That's why they're so close now."

Alicia nodded, "Mr. Giuseppe raised Damon but I always say it was Damon who raised Stefan. Those two are thick as thieves and I'm glad, that way they'll always have each other's backs."

"I'm glad too," Elena said with a sigh before turning her attention back to the task at hand.

For the rest of the morning, Elena couldn't help her thoughts from straying to a younger Damon and how different their lives had been. In a way she couldn't blame him for being so closed off as an adult, after all, that was what he had been instructed to do since a very young age, but it still didn't excuse him for the deplorable way he had treated her.

Nonetheless it was a sensitive subject and like Caroline had once stated not everything was black and white, especially not Damon's life and personality which were a huge shade of gray. He was not a good man but how could you blame him if everything he was today, was exactly what he had been taught and groomed to be at a very early age. Besides his brother and maybe Caroline, no one ever showed him love or regarded him as a priority.

Elena wondered briefly if there was a shy little boy hiding inside Damon even now, a little boy wanting nothing more than for someone to love him but not knowing how to act or how to ask for it. She felt sorry for him; there was always an indescribable loneliness lingering in his expression and now as she was discovering the various pieces of puzzles that constituted her husband, she felt like she was closer to deciphering the mystery that was Damon Salvatore and his inability to let someone in.

In the afternoon when Elena was in the room that was now her workshop, sketching out some designs and playing around with fabrics idly, Caroline walked in sporting the biggest of smiles Elena had ever seen. "Are you excited to go home today?"

Elena stared at the enthusiastic blonde from where she was sitting on the floor and matched her grin, "I can't wait. I miss mom a lot and Jeremy too."

Caroline sat next to Elena, moving some pieces of fabric lying around to make space for herself. "Not Katherine?" the blonde mocked. Elena and Caroline had discussed her acrimonious relationship with Katherine in depth, and the blonde knew how much Elena disliked and distrusted her sibling, they both agreed that Katherine might be the worst sister to ever walk the earth.

"Oh I couldn't care less about her," she muttered. Elena was a bit worried about seeing her sister and Elijah again, she had no idea how she was supposed to act around them. She now knew that whatever she thought she had felt for her brother's friend was simply a silly infatuation which she had romanticized and blown out of proportion in her naïve mind, but that still didn't stop her from feeling betrayed and hurt by Katherine's callous behavior.

Sensing that her friend's mood was changing, the perceptive blonde decided to lighten things up, "I was thinking, what if you make the dresses for my bridesmaids."

Elena's head snapped towards Caroline as her eyes widened like saucers, "What?"

The blonde nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, think about it. I love the things you make Elena," she said gesturing towards the dress she was currently wearing. Elena had finished that piece as a school project a couple of days ago and had gifted it to the blonde girl, and apparently she had loved it. "I know you can do a great job and it would be a great way to showcase your talent and show everyone your work."

Elena thought about it for a little while, "I don't know Care, this is your wedding I'm sure you want everything to be perfect." She didn't want Caroline to feel obligated to do this for her; after all it was the most important day of her life.

"Everything will be perfect Elena," she said in a tone that left nothing else to discuss. "And if I didn't think you could do a perfect job, I wouldn't be asking you," she reasoned with her. "I believe you can do this. We're still months away and I have only three bridesmaids, Rose, Meredith and if you accept you will be the third."

If it was possible for Elena's eyes to widen anymore they would, "What?!" she squealed excitedly. "Are you serious?"

Caroline's eyes were tender as they looked at her, "Look I don't know if you've noticed but it's hard to make true friends in this lifestyle plus I'm not an easy person to like."

"Caroline that's not true…"

"It is Elena, I know me," she joked. "But in these past few months I've really come to know you and appreciate you Elena, we're going to be sisters in a few months and I would really like for you to be next to me on my special day!"

Even before the blonde had finished talking, Elena threw her arms around her and hugged her so tightly she feared she was going to break her. Caroline had been an immense source of comfort to her during the past few months; she had helped her no end during the difficult transition, listened to her problems and advised her honestly, she now ranked on top in her list of best friends right alongside Bonnie. God knows Elena and Katherine never got along so she was looking forward to having a sister like Caroline.

"Of course I will be your bridesmaid, it will be my honor and pleasure," Elena said as she released her friend. "And I will make the most gorgeous dresses ever."

"Yay!" the blonde threw her hands in the air in celebration, "We need to start working on the designs right now; I'm thinking some kind of violet color or maybe pale pink. What do you think fits a June wedding better?"

"I like violet, I think we can do something beautiful with it or maybe lilac," Elena stretched herself on the floor and took out her sketch pad. "So what were you thinking?" she was about to start sketching an initial design when the door opened and her husband appeared at the threshold.

"Hold on to that thought Coco Chanel," he told her and she couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm sure we'll have more than enough time for this later, you can prattle about it on the plane but right now I need to speak with Elena."

Caroline huffed, "You are the worst brother-in-law ever," she muttered as she stood up.

"Oh yeah, who's going to get Ed Sheeran to play on your wedding?" he told her with a raised eyebrow and Elena gaped at him openmouthed.

"I will believe it when I see it!" Caroline said as she walked past him disdainfully and turned to say goodbye to Elena, "I'll see you in a bit, I'll finish packing in the meanwhile."

"See you Care!"

Damon stood up by the door, his hand on his pants pockets and a flirty smile on his face. Elena watched him from her spot on the floor and couldn't stop the tremors that ran through her body at the sight of him and the way he was looking at her; it was like an electric current went from him to her every time they were near. And all she wanted was to feel his body against hers and his hands all over her, taking her to heights of unbelievable pleasure.

"What's on your mind _bambolina_?" he walked closer to her, a cheeky smile on his face as he extended his hand and she took it, helping her to stand up. He knew the effect he had on her and loved to tease her with it.

"Nothing," she shrugged as a half-smile played on her lips. He drew her into his arms, her hands moving instantly to his waist gripping his shirt there. He nuzzled his nose with hers and Elena smiled at the contact. He had been doing a lot of that lately, it was like he couldn't stop himself from touching her every chance he got, and she was ashamed to admit she was becoming addicted to his touch.

"I won't be going to Chicago," he whispered and she snapped back to reality, she would have stepped away from him if it wasn't for him holding her close to his body.

"Is something wrong?" she asked trying to hide her disappointment.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "It's just some business I have to take care of but I will be there in a couple of days maybe."

"Damon…" she trailed off. She didn't know why but the idea of being apart from him was too hard to contemplate, especially after what had happened the last time he went to take care of business.

"Is it something to do with the Mikaelsons?"

He shook his head, "No _tesoro_ , it doesn't." He kissed her forehead as his hands moved to her hips to pull her even closer.

She gave him a questioning look and he sighed before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "Someone wants something I have but I don't want to give up, they think they can put pressure on me and I'm going to show them I'm not someone you can mess with."

"How dangerous is this?" she asked as worried lines appeared on her face as she looked into his ocean blue eyes; he smiled slightly and placed a kiss on her nose.

"No danger at all _tesoro_ , I'll be fine. And so will you, Blondie and Enzo will travel with you, you couldn't be in better hands."

After everything that went down with the Mikaelsons, Damon had been extra careful with her security but since she was going to her father's house, a man who was almost as dangerous as him, he wasn't too worried plus Enzo was the best out there, if someone could keep his wife safe it was him.

Suddenly his eyes lost the warmth and became hard as he looked at her, "I want you to behave Elena." His hand moved to her chin and held her face tightly forcing her to stare at him, "I will have eyes everywhere," he barked out jealously.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked in indignation, a defiant look crossing her face and sending a thrill down Damon's back. How her fire excited and aroused him, he lusted for her and even now as she looked at him in anger all he wanted to do was throw her on the ground and burn in that passion taking her along with him. She was made for him and no one dared to touch her except him.

"You know what it means!" he bit out fiercely, his face moving closer until she could feel his hot breath on her own face. "If I find out that something happened with you and that little _stronzo_ I will cut him down, you understand. I made you a promise a while back Elena and I plan to fulfill it." A haze was coming over him as he looked at her quivering lips, his pants were beginning to bulge with his uncontrollable arousal and he was nearly salivating at the mouth looking at her.

"You are such a caveman, Damon," she clenched her jaw tightly as she broke free from his hold. "You know very well I'm not a cheater and for better or for worse I am married to you."

"For better or for worse?" he asked darkly as he drew her even closer to him, she could feel every ridge of his hard as rock body against her and it send a shiver down her spine, a heat starting to build steadily and wetness pooled between her legs. The electricity that his touch generated caused her nerves to buzz with excitement. "You are mine" he whispered in her ear his tongue slowly licking her earlobe as he blew into her ear, grinded his arousal against her, driving her temperature even higher, and she closed her eyes at the sound of his voice. _"Mia, sei tutta mia bambolina"_

The rational part of her knew she should smack him and tell him to stop objectifying her but the part of her that loved and desired the monster inside him relished in his ownership of her, in knowing she could give herself completely to him and he would take care of her. She was his and there was no denying it, not anymore, but that didn't mean she would stop fighting him because that only made the game more exciting. "You are a pig!" she muttered, more turned on then she liked, she wanted to feel his lips on her desperately but although he stayed tantalizing close he didn't kiss her.

He chuckled, "I believe I am and I think you like it." He bit her earlobe and she moaned wantonly at the action. "It's time you finish packing darling," he said as he stepped away from her with a teasing smirk knowing that he had driven her to a point where she was crazy with desire. A look of disbelief and anger flashed across her face as she realized that he was going to leave her unsatisfied.

"Let's go," he took her hand and led her out of her workshop.

Her body still tingled with his touch and the sound of his voce, her breasts were heavy and aching and the burning spot between her legs was pulsing with need yet he didn't do anything to relieve her from that suffering.

"This is so you'll think of me when I'm away," was all he told her before kissing her softly and leaving her alone in their room so she could finish packing her things.

After he walked out Elena locked the door and undressed herself, she lay on the bed and took her hand between her legs, his image in her head as she touched and caressed herself to an orgasm but it wasn't enough, she needed him and somehow she knew that the bastard was outside the door listening, confirming what they already knew. No one was going to give her what he did, her body came alive under his touch and Elena knew that nothing compared to him. She hoped that she had left him in a similar predicament and he was going through the same pain of an unfulfilled arousal.

A couple of hours later as Elena landed in her hometown, excitement bubbled inside her at the thought of seeing her family again. Even Caroline told her she looked like a Chihuahua heading for a stroll around its favorite park.

The minute Elena stepped foot into her old house, a feeling of comfort and security surrounded her completely. It wasn't that her time in New York was bad, she enjoyed being there and now with Damon changing she found herself missing home less and less every day. But being here she couldn't help the old feelings resurfacing, after all she had been yanked out of this place without being ready to let go.

Jeremy and her mother were the first to greet them; the oldest Gilbert questioned her about everything while her mother remained on the side, a demure smile on her face. Looking at her, Elena could see how much like her mother she was, always in the sidelines doing exactly what she was told to do, simple pretty dolls to play with. Elena felt an unusual resentment towards her father build up as she thought of how blind he had kept her, her entire life and then ousted her so unceremoniously into a totally different world.

After Jeremy's interrogation ended, Elena was instructed to go to her father's office while her mother showed Caroline and Enzo their bedrooms. Elena felt unpleasant nerves creeping up on her as she walked closer to the shut door of her father's office, the place felt so familiar yet at the same time completely alien.

When the door opened she found him sitting behind his desk, an image she had seen millions of times over the years. Elena used to find comfort in this room, sitting by her father's feet, beaming when he smiled at her and called her his princess. Now she felt like a stranger walking into a place where she shouldn't be and even when he hugged her and told her how much he had missed her she couldn't muster the will to beam at him again.

They talked for a couple of minutes, he asked her about her life in New York and how Damon was treating her. Things seemed constricted between them, they were no longer as fluid as they used to be, Elena used to think that she had a better relationship with her father than Katherine ever did, but now she wondered if it was perhaps because her sister was more like him than she could ever be.

After an exhausting small talk with her father, Elena headed upstairs and popped briefly into Caroline's room, to ask her how she was settling in. The blonde reassured her she was fine and that she would meet her in a couple of hours, when they would be having dinner downstairs.

Friday family dinners at the Gilbert household were always a tradition and it was something that hadn't changed even if she wasn't there anymore.

Elena couldn't help the sense of nostalgia and sadness that washed over her as she plopped down on her old bed, it might not be as soft and comfy as Damon's was but it was familiar and it smelled like the happy days of her childhood.

She snuggled into the pillows and breathed in the homely scent, it was strange and kind of sad to see how everyone had moved on without her, not that she expected for things to remain frozen in her absence but it was somehow troubling to realize that the only thing different now was herself.

After a dreamless nap, Elena took a much-needed shower and dressed in a light pink cotton dress she had made in New York, Damon had loved it and her cheeks had tinted pink when he had complimented her on it.

She stepped outside her room and found the last person she ever expected, waiting for her.

"Hello," Elijah said with a tentative smile as his eyes travelled over the length of her body.

"Hi," Elena answered, feeling uncomfortable in some way. She was seeing Elijah, like many other things since she arrived, in a new light. No longer like the child with the crush on her big brother's friend but like a woman who had gotten her heart broken by the said friend.

"You look nice," he said eyeing her dress.

Elena smiled slighted and moved so she could start walking towards the stairs, "Thank you"

His hand on her elbow stopped her and made her lift her face up to stare into his eyes, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Are you…"

Elena sighed as she moved away from his touch, "I don't think you and I should be talking," her mind going briefly to Damon's words earlier that day.

"Why not? Because of Kat, I can assure you…"

"Don't assure me of anything Elijah," Elena bit out, anger suddenly clawing at her insides.

He looked taken aback for her words, "I'm sorry!"

Elena laughed scornfully, her eyes icing over as she stared at him, "You know it's not like you didn't deserve to be with someone else because you were a free man but her? Days after you kissed me? You should have known how that was going to hurt me," she couldn't deny that the betrayal had cut her deeply.

He shook his head exasperated, his cool and composed mask slipping briefly, "What did you want me to do Elena? You were marrying someone else. And I had to watch him staring at you as if you were a prize he had won, the whole night"

She couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, as if somehow everything that had happened had been her fault. "And of course the next best thing that occurred to you at the moment was to sleep with my sister."

He had the decency to look ashamed, "I'm sorry!"

"Don't be!"

"Is he treating you right?"

"Yes he is," 'most of the times' she wanted to add but she bit her tongue in time to stop the words from coming out. "And I think this is none of your business."

His eyes lost the sorry look and they became hard again, "A couple of weeks and he already has you under his spell?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He leaned down towards her, his body hovering over hers, "I know his reputation Elena, he's a beast. He will eat you up so don't be naïve enough to fall for his charms."

"You really should mind your own business Elijah!"

"He's a monster," he spat out.

"Yeah, unlike all of you who are nothing but angels."

He laughed scathingly, "So, he gives you a good fuck and now he's God…"

He didn't even finish his sentence before Elena's hand connected with his cheek.

"This is the last time you speak to me with so little respect," Elena hissed, her chin lifting up as she moved closer to him. "Don't forget who I am and most importantly don't forget who my husband is," she spat out angrily before turning around and walking regally like the queen she was towards the dining room, leaving a very disgruntled and speechless Elijah Smith standing in the hallway.

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 **P.S It's my birthday today so please show me some love and leave a review :)**


	15. Some rise by sin

**Hello beautiful!**

 **First of all thank you so much for the birthday wishes, you guys are amazing. Thank you so much for still be reading the story, Mia don't worry I didn't go anywhere. I really hope you enjoy this new chapter, I apologize for the lack of Damon but I promise I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. I also want to thank Amber because honestly she's the most amazing beta.**

 **Here we go.**

* * *

Well, Heaven forgive him, and forgive us all.  
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.  
Some run from breaks of ice, and answer none,  
And some condemned for one fault alone.

 **-William Shakespeare-**

 **.**

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Jeremy and Elena strolled peacefully in their beautifully manicured gardens, as the chilly wind of Chicago's cold morning caressed their faces. It was barely six a.m. and most of the house was enshrouded in complete silence, Elena and Jeremy being early birds, had decided to take a walk together to spend some uninterrupted sibling bonding time. Her brother had always suffered from insomnia, and now Elena wondered if perhaps that was the backlash of all the blood and violence he had to face on a daily basis.

"I hated him for what he did to you," her brother said suddenly after a particularly long silence, "If I had known about the deal beforehand… I would have never let him take you away."

Elena squeezed her brother's hand gently before smiling at him. Jeremy had lots of faults; being a jerk to Bonnie was one of them, but there was no doubt that as a brother he was the best Elena could ask for. "I know you would have Jer," she told him before releasing his hand and running spontaneously towards the makeshift swing that hung from the biggest tree in the garden.

Jeremy's lips curled in a warm smile as he watched his sister settle down on the the swing. "Some things never change," he said, his voice full of affection and nostalgia as he went down memory lane, recalling countless mornings when he had pushed her on that same swing. Times when things had seemed simpler, with moments of true joy lighting their lives.

"Oh how I have missed this," Elena sighed as she closed her eyes and pushed herself up, the wind hitting her face and making her feel as free as a bird, as though she could touch the very skies. She wondered briefly if there was a chance she could convince Damon to install one of these in their backyard, she knew Maytana would love it.

"Are you happy Elena?" she heard Jeremy's probing voice behind her, minutes after feeling his hands on her back, pushing her forward like he used to do when they were children.

She mused over his question for a minute, thinking back to the initial few weeks in New York when she had cried herself to sleep, wishing to be back in the safety and comfort of her home, surrounded by people who loved her. No she hadn't been happy back then, in fact she had been lonely and downright miserable. A stranger in a strange town!

But now?

She thought of the interesting strolls through Times Square and the pretentious French movies in the quaint theater Damon liked so much; of Alicia's delectable food and Maytana's infectious smile; she thought of Stefan's good poker skills, Caroline's never-ending, exhaustive shopping sprees and Enzo's silly jokes. And she realized suddenly that she considered all of them as home now – she was no longer a stranger!

"I think I am," she answered as truthfully as she could.

"Good!" they remained in silence for a few seconds as she gave herself up to the feeling of flying in the air, her hair sticking to her face and she felt like a ten-year old once again. "I'm sorry…about Elijah and Kat."

Elena's eyes opened abruptly and she stilled, fantasies of her blissful childhood forgotten. Jeremy stopped the swing and walked in front of her to stare at her, "He was never worthy of you," she smiled slightly at his words, "I hate that she did this to you."

"It's okay Jeremy, it was just a silly crush," she said trying her utmost to act nonchalant. "It's very different from what you do to Bonnie," Jeremy rolled his eyes and slumped on the grass at her feet.

"I love her you know!"

"You do? How would I know? What with all the girls you cheat on her with…" she reprimanded him.

Jeremy lay on the grass with both arms extended over his head, his eyes fixed pensively on the clouds above his head, "I don't know why I do it, I honestly don't. I guess I just can't be a good man… but I do love her Elena, she means the world to me."

Elena stared at her brother and for the first time she noticed the worry lines on his forehead, the bags under his eyes and the complete hollowness that seemed to be a permanent feature of his eyes.

"You should try showing it to her once in a while," she chided him gently. "Because you are a good man and I believe you can do better than this."

Jeremy sighed heavily as he stared at his baby sister, "You've always seen the best in people Lena; you are so different from Kat and me."

"Maybe I am not," Elena answered thinking about Damon and how he made her feel, surely if she was as pure as everyone thought she was, she wouldn't be craving the darkness in him, the darkness she sometimes reveled in.

"Yes you are," he smiled sadly at her. "From the moment mom held you in her arms we knew you would be different. You were all smiles and tenderness, so innocent and pure." His expression turned stony again but she could see the remorse in his eyes clearly, "That's why we tried so greatly to protect you; you were the only thing unsoiled in this bloody family. That's why I hate so much that he gave you up to a man like Salvatore."

"He's not that bad you know," Elena answered a little defensively. "And I think maybe you expected too much of me Jeremy, you all put me on a pedestal. It was as if I was an ornamental doll in a glass display, waiting to be taken out and played with, then put back when bored."

"It wasn't like that…"

"But it was," she said bluntly. "After being so sheltered my entire life I was thrown headfirst into one of the most dangerous worlds there is, a sheep in a den of wolves. Don't you see? Ignorance makes you weak."

He seemed to reflect over her words for a while, and then nodded as his eyes moved back to the clouds and he looked deep in thought, "You've changed." She was taken aback by his comment and was about to protest when he interrupted her, "But not in a bad way. You've grown up."

"I think I have or at least I'm trying to."

"I'm glad," he sat up and rested on his elbows, his eyes determined as they looked at her. "I meant what I said on your wedding day Lena, if he ever harms you I will find a way to get you out of that marriage"

Elena smiled slightly at her brother, "He won't, I promise."

She had no idea where that blind faith in Damon had suddenly come from, after all, he had spent the first few months of their marriage being nothing but nasty towards her. But he had turned over a new page and lately his behavior towards her had been so gentle, almost loving and more than anything she trusted him. She recalled how he had once told her, she was now a Salvatore and he would protect her, she believed he would, even with his own life. The only thing that he could harm was her heart and there was no way Jeremy could protect that.

"Enough with the sad thoughts," he said as his entire demeanor changed, gone was the haunted look in his eyes and in its place was excitement and anticipation as he planned on how to win back a spot in Bonnie's good graces. "I need your help to make Bonnie forgive me."

Elena laughed out loud, "You are unbelievable, my first advice to her was to run away as fast and far away from you as she could."

"You are such a bad sister," He pouted in fake indignation. "I was thinking Paris."

"Paris?"

"I want to take her to Paris."

"Oh Jeremy Gilbert, you're never going to change," she said rolling her eyes, her heart filling with love and affection for her incorrigible brother.

They continued laughing and joking as the house awoke from its slumber and everyone started to prepare for the day ahead; Jeremy was soon called to his father's office, their bubble of happiness burst by the reality of the life they lived.

After Jeremy's conference with Grayson, they both disappeared for the rest of the morning, so Miranda took Elena and Caroline to a day of pampering in an upscale spa, of course Enzo's ever faithful shadow trailed behind them.

Despite feeling a bit off-kilter ever since she had arrived, Elena enjoyed spending time with her mother. Elena tried to be as honest and upfront as she possibly could when her mother probed her about her marriage, they also reminisced about old times but the star of the discussions remained the huge party Grayson was planning to throw, in celebration of the older woman's fiftieth birthday.

After the much-needed girls time out, the three of them returned to the house to get ready, since they were meeting Jenna and Bonnie for lunch in one of Miranda's favorite restaurants.

Elena collapsed on her bed as she pulled out the vibrating phone from her purse, Damon's name flashed on the screen and she made a futile attempt to contain the smile that was breaking across her face.

"Hello!" she answered breathlessly, the mere sound of his raspy voice making her heart beat thump out of control and her entire body tingle.

" _Ciao bella_!" the sultry voice of her husband answered softly. _"Come stai oggi? Ti sono mancato?"_

Elena couldn't suppress the giggle that burst out of her lips at his words. "You know I didn't understand a single thing you just said." There was something about foreign languages coming out of Damon's mouth that drove her completely insane, turning her into a wild and wanton woman. Just three days before coming to Chicago, he had slipped his hand under her dress while he whispered French words in her ear, they had sounded so dirty and sexy that to say she lost complete control and ended up having the time of her life, would be an understatement.

"Hello beautiful!" he translated. "How are you? Have you missed me?" Elena curbed a sigh that threatened to escape her lips, sometimes he almost made her swoon with the seductive cadence of his tone. His words had a way of spreading like a vine through her insides and taking over till she was overwhelmed by a sensory overload unlike anything she had experienced before; in fact, the way Damon was slowly sneaking into her heart, was becoming a real problem.

"No, I haven't!" she lied, blushing guiltily.

"Now I know that's a lie," she could almost picture him smirking on the other end.

"Oh yeah?"

"I can assure you that at this very minute you wish I was there with you, my mouth against your neck and my hand between your legs," Elena's breath hitched and an involuntary sigh escaped her lips, her back arched as she pictured him doing what he said. She had always known that her body's response to his physical presence was immediate and powerful but now she was discovering that the same was true for his voice over a phone.

"I would make you feel so good _principessa_!"

"You would?" she squeaked out breathlessly.

"Yes, I would tease your nipples with my thumbs till they were hard and aching and then I would slowly swirl my tongue around one of those beautiful pink buds and nibble gently, then I would go on to suck the other as my hands slowly trail downwards and I kiss you and lick your hot skin all the way till I reach your panties which I would inch down your legs with my teeth. I would take my time kissing every square inch as I come back up, I would start with the arch of your foot then I would trail my tongue over your ankles, my lips kissing the soft spot behind your knees, and then I would move on to your creamy inner thighs, kissing everywhere, except the one place that is wet and wild with need, I would tease and caress until you are screaming to feel my mouth on your pussy. Finally, my tongue would slide along your folds sucking and licking till you lose your senses, then my fingers would join in to tease your sweet bundle of nerves till you shout out my name in pleasure. I would bring my fingers coated with your juices to my mouth, letting my tongue feel you, after which I would kiss you."

Her breathing got shallow, and she almost cried out from the intensity of her arousal and the need to feel him deep inside her, just listening to his words brought her to the edge of her climax and she clenched inner muscles desperate for release, shivers of desire racking her body. "The taste of your skin drives me mad Elena, I wish I could be touching you right now, tasting you on my tongue, my fingers..." he groaned, his voice sounding frenzied and ragged.

"Damon…" she breathed out heavily, her entire body tightly strung, her core hot and aching for him. She could hear his heavy breathing on the other end, his breath coming out in shorts gasps, and she knew that he was as affected as she was and that gave her thrill knowing that he burned for her as much as she did for him.

"I would finally make you mine," his voice sounded barely recognizable or audible, his words coming out in a shuddering breath, Elena exhaled loudly as her whole body quivered at his statement of intent. Despite the fact they had been married for months and he had done countless crazy wicked things to her body, Elena still remained a virgin but she yearned desperately for his body. Sometimes she worried that he would fulfill his promise of only making love to her after she begged.

"I've missed you," he whispered and she felt her heart soaring at his words. " _Senza di te la vità è un inferno_. I want you back"

"Then come," she gasped out hoarsely.

The line stayed silent for a few seconds, the only sound was the one of his labored breathing. "You want me there?" he wasn't able to hide the surprise in his voice and she felt her heart grow two sizes for him.

"I want you here, Damon" she moved to rest on her side as a big smile lit up her face, she felt like a school girl talking to her first boyfriend, "When are you coming?"

She heard him sigh at the other end, "I was supposed to be there tomorrow morning but now I'll try my best to be there by night."

A shiver ran down her back at the thought of him, she had been away from him for only two days but she already needed him desperately. Damon was like a drug and she was proving to be quite the addict. "I can't wait"

"You drive me crazy, Elena," he murmured thickly. Elena had heard that phrase many times in the past but today for the first time in her life she understood its true meaning, because that was exactly how Damon made her feel. Crazy. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Oh Damon…" her impassioned words were superseded by murmurs in the background and a door opening. She heard him cursing and sighed sadly because she knew their phone call had been interrupted and she had managed only a few minutes with him.

"I'll call you later _tesoro mio,_ " he excused himself, "I'll let you know before I fly to Chicago."

"Of course" she answered seconds before the line went dead. She dropped the phone on the bed and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in the fluffy pillow.

She couldn't understand how Damon could make her feel so out of control, how a simple word from him or the sound of his voice could make her crave his presence so utterly. She wondered when was it that he had carved such a deep place in her heart, was there any specific moment that she could pinpoint? Or was it an amalgamation of many tiny moments coming together to create this feeling of being empty and incomplete without him. She didn't have the answers, all she knew was that somehow he was in her bloodstream and she could feel him burning through each and everyone of her veins.

It was disconcerting how much power over herself she had ended up relinquishing to him.

Hours later, after their lunch had ended, the one where Bonnie hadn't show up, Elena was sitting with Caroline, her mother and her aunt in the lounge room upstairs discussing party preparations but her mind was still engaged in thoughts of Damon and how dependent she was becoming on him.

"So what do you guys think of mint green?" Caroline's voice was loud enough to bring Elena back to the conversation.

"What?" she asked still lost in her thoughts and a little confused.

The animated blonde rolled her eyes at her with a knowing smile, "The color for the bridesmaid dresses of course."

"Leave her honey she was probably day dreaming about that hunk of a husband she has" Jenna joked and Elena couldn't help the pink that tainted her cheeks at the jab, "I would be doing the same."

"Eww that's just….no!" Caroline shuddered, looking horrified. "Anyway, mint green?"

"I think that is a wonderful choice Caroline," Miranda interjected, "Especially for a June wedding."

"I know right!" piped the effervescent blonde.

"I thought you said violet," Elena said with a smile.

"Well I think I'm changing my mind, it's the bride's prerogative after all."

Seconds later the door burst open and Bonnie practically ran in with the biggest smile on her face. Elena didn't even want to know what Jeremy had done to put that smile on her face but she was so glad to see it.

"Fashionably late?" Jenna asked the young girl sarcastically as she walked over to where Miranda was sitting.

"Jeremy took me to lunch."

"I thought we were having lunch together," Jenna kept up with the jabs.

"What can I say? he won me over," Bonnie shrugged and walked towards the couch were Elena and Caroline were resting with a blanket on top of them.

"That means he's forgiven?" Elena asked once she sat down next to the other girls. Jenna and Miranda were wrapped up in their own conversation now, completely oblivious to the girls.

Bonnie looked down with a sad expression, "I know you think I deserve better but he's been my boyfriend for six years Elena and I've loved him even longer." The brown-skinned beauty raised her eyes tremulously as she twirled a locket in her hand. "I tried not to love him Elena but I just can't. I know what he's doing and how awful he's been to me but I just can't stop loving him"

Caroline squeezed her hand and gave her a sympathetic smile as Elena smiled ruefully, "I think for the first time I might understand you," she told her friend as her mind darted back to thoughts of her husband.

"Plus he's taking me to Paris!" she said with an excited laugh.

"And I bet that had nothing to do with your forgiveness," Caroline said with a smirk.

"Absolutely not" Bonnie answered. "And he gave me this," she extended her hand to show them the locket she had been playing with all this time. It was a silver heart-shaped pendant with diamonds encrusted all around it, but the best part was that it opened up to show a picture of them inside it, the one taken in Disneyland which showed a happy sixteen-year old Bonnie beaming at her older boyfriend.

"It's beautiful!" Elena whispered softly.

"Yeah it is!" Caroline agreed.

As the night progressed, they went on to talk about many other subjects animatedly but Elena kept glancing distractedly at her phone, hoping to see a message from Damon telling her he was flying to Chicago. She hadn't heard from him since their phone call earlier and she was worried that something bad might have happened.

"So are you excited Mrs. Gilbert. I bet this party is going to be the event of the century," Caroline asked Elena's mother. Since it was Miranda's fiftieth birthday, Grayson had gone overboard with the preparations for the 'epic' celebration, he wanted an event worthy of a queen.

"You can call me Miranda, Caroline, and yes of course I'm excited," she said with a wide smile. "Though I would like to think I'm not turning fifty," she joked. As the girls laughed at her declaration, the deafening blast of a gunshot reverberated in the room, filling the occupants with horror.

It was like time froze, they looked at each other in slow motion and seconds later Enzo burst in through the door with a panicked expression on his face, his eyes going from Caroline to Elena, making sure they were all right.

"What happened?" Elena asked terrified.

"Don't know" he said through gritted teeth; his eyes kept wandering from the two of them to the hallway on the other side of the door.

Caroline could see the man's inner turmoil; he had been told to protect Elena at all costs but he also knew that if something was happening downstairs he had to be there. "Go!" the blonde told him authoritatively, "Go, I'll take care of it." He seemed hesitant for a few seconds but decided to follow his instincts.

"Lock the door and don't open until you're sure it's me on the other side," he instructed them, the girls were dumbstruck and all they could do was nod. Enzo pulled out a gun from his back and handed it to Caroline who unlocked and charged it, "You got this Blondie?" he asked her as the girl nodded at him.

Once Enzo was out of the room, Caroline locked the door and started pacing the room with the gun secured firmly in her hand, the five of them remained in silence as the minutes trickled by. "I can feel your energy from here Elena, you're like a Chihuahua," Caroline snapped tense with worry.

"We can't just stay here doing nothing," she hissed.

"Yes we can," Caroline answered before they heard a knock on the door; all of them stared at each other with wide eyes, startled and a little afraid, the knock sounded again.

"Open the door Blondie!" they heard a familiar voice and breathed in relief.

Caroline sighed before walking towards the door, "How can I know you are alone?"

"Three Christmases ago you and I got bloody drunk and did a Karaoke performance of 'Like a Virgin', an anecdote you will never repeat to anyone other than the women in the room who just heard it," Caroline chuckled and opened the door.

"Told you that was the best security password," she said as the Englishman walked inside the room. A troubled frown etched his face as his eyes searched Elena's regretfully.

"What happened?" her voice was barely a whisper as a sense of dread enveloped her in its icy grasp, ripping through her insides, "Enzo…?" she gulped shakily.

He sighed before giving her a sorry look, as the words left his mouth Elena felt the floor caving in underneath her feet, her whole body went cold and an ache started in her chest threatening to split her in smithereens.

"Jeremy Gilbert was shot dead."

These words were going to be etched indelibly on her mind for the rest of her existence, echoing on repeat; nothing would ever be the same again. Her entire life came to a standstill as she stood shell shocked unable to process this soul destroying news and its dreadful implications.

* * *

 _Ciao bella – Hello Beautiful_

 _Come stai oggi? Ti sono mancato?"_ _How are you today? Did you miss me?"_

 _Principessa – princess_

 _Senza di te la vità e un inferno -_ _Without you life is hell_

* * *

 _tesoro mio – my darling_

* * *

 **BTW just a reminder that Katherine and Elena are not lookalike in this one, I imagine Kat like Leighton Meester but you can picture her whatever you like.**


	16. Life is pain

**Love you guys so much, please enjoy!**

 **And as always thanks to Amber for being my amazing beta on this**

* * *

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

 **-William Goldman-**

 **.**

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Her expression was stoic as she sat at the bottom of the stairs frozen in her grief, her ears could pick up the cries and lamentations coming from the upstairs bedroom, the incessant keening broke upon the air with its haunting sound and further broke her heart. Her eyes were fixated on the hallway that led to her father's office where the door was still shut close.

The clock in the parlor struck one at night and Elena knew she had been sitting there for almost three hours. She had entered the room where they had placed Jeremy's lifeless body; had taken one look at him and walked out of the place with enough time to empty the contents of her stomach in the hallway. After that she had walked down the stairs and sat at the bottom motionaless, while her mother and Bonnie remained in the room where her dead brother was lying lifeless. Katherine had disappeared to her own bedroom with hollow eyes, without uttering a word.

Grayson Gilbert had locked himself in his study and hadn't come out since, his men and Enzo who had stopped briefly in front of her to inform her that Damon was on his way, were running around the property trying to investigate where the killer had found a breach and how was it that no one was able to find who was responsible.

Caroline, who was the only one still capable of thinking with a cold head, was running around fixing everything and taking care of countless details; like what story they were going to tell, how the funeral was to be planned and the million other specifics, Elena didn't even want to think about; she was extremely grateful for her blonde friend at the moment.

Elena was dead tired and weary but refused to sleep because every time she closed her eyes all she could see was the face of her dear brother; her mind was plagued with the bittersweet memories of their childhood together and how handsome and haunted he had seemed that morning in which they had talked and reminisced about their childhood in the garden.

Less than a day ago he had been pushing her on that swing and now she would have to face a world without him. How could someone keep on living after something like this? How would she wake up every day knowing that her own brother, her flesh and blood, was no longer part of the world? Elena felt like someone was squeezing her heart inside her chest, the pain was more than she could bear and she honestly didn't imagine it ever not hurting.

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice startled her for a second, she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even know when someone had come and sat down next to her.

"Elena, are you okay?" she moved her head and found Elijah staring at her with a broken expression on his face, his eyes filled with worry for her, she shook her head in denial and her eyes drifted back to the hallway

"I still don't know what happened," he told her. "How could someone do something like that and go unnoticed?"

"You tell me!" Elena muttered hoarsely, her throat felt raw and her voice was raspy, from not saying a word the last couple of hours. "I didn't know we were at war." She knew that deaths happened in their world but killing the son a mob boss under his own roof was way too personal to be a causality.

"We're not supposed to…", he began but quickly shut his mouth. Elena had spent too much time around him to know that he wanted to say something more.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry?"

She sighed and turned around to stare at him fixedly, "I know you, there's something you want to say."

"I don't think you're going to like it."

A mocking laugh left her lips, "That didn't stop you before."

He seemed about to dispute her on the comment but decided against it, his eyes darted to her father's office, before looking into her eyes again, "It hasn't crossed your mind that your husband might be behind this?"

Elena's blood ran cold the minute the words left his mouth, "What?"

"Jeremy was talking about ending the marriage, getting you a divorce and then today in the afternoon I heard your father arguing with Salvatore over the phone," his eyes looked at her with genuine concern.

"You're wrong," Elena told him recalling Jeremy's words that morning. But she had told him she and Damon were happy… could Elijah be right?

"He's a beast! Elena, and he already had people inside the house," he pointed out.

Elena shook her head as she stood up from the stairs, her legs trembling slightly from shock and being stationary for so long, "No, no it can't be. Damon would never do that to me."

Although she said the words with conviction, some part of her wondered whether what Elijah had said could be right. Damon had told her once that she would never be free of him and that he would kill anyone that got in his way. Was Jeremy in his way?

"Don't be so blind, Elena!" Elijah said standing up, his eyes turning stormy with anger as he stared at her. "Because if he is responsible for my best friend's life I will end him."

"Shut up!" Elena bit out. "You don't even know what you're saying."

Enzo had burst into the room seconds after the gunshot, it would be physically impossible for him to kill Jeremy and yet be at her side so fast. But Damon hadn't answered any of her messages even though he had promised to be in Chicago by night? What if he had found a way to sneak into the house and kill her brother?

She couldn't forgive that. She would never forgive that.

"Don't let him fool you, Elena!" he gripped her shoulders and her eyes widened, his own eyes were frantic as they looked at her. "He is not who you think he is."

"Let go!" she released herself from his grip. "Don't you even dare to repeat what you have just said," she hissed before stomping away from him. Her feet taking her into the front yard as her mind swirled a mile a minute.

Elijah was wrong, Elena knew exactly who Damon but somehow that made everything worse. Because the sad truth was that Damon was capable of killing in cold blood, like her brother had been, but a part of her was telling her that he would never destroy her like that.

The chilly air of the night was like a shock to her skin as she stepped outside, her feet taking her instinctively to the made up swing, where she and Jeremy had shared a moment that beautiful morning. It seemed inconceivable how much life could change in a matter of seconds, how her entire world had crumbled down like a house of cards, leaving her devastated and heart broken.

She sat down on the wooden bench and started rocking herself inconsolably, her feet barely lifting off the ground. She breathed in and felt the air getting stuck in her throat. Her brother was no more in her life; Jeremy was dead and there was no way she could fix that.

Elena didn't realize she was crying until she tasted the saltiness of her tears on her lips, it was like a dike had broken and now she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Her chest was being split in half and the pain was so intense that she wanted nothing else but to curl up on the floor and cry till her jaws ached and her body trembled with unimaginable grief.

The sound of feet on the grass made her stop the swing and turn her head around to see her husband heading her way. He was wearing dark jeans and a gray t-shirt, and even in her forlorn state she couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked, but more than anything what captured her attention were his eyes; for the first time since she had met him they were looking at her with utter warmth and tenderness.

" _Tesoro mio!_ " he whispered tenderly when he saw her tear stained cheeks and red rimmed eyes. He walked towards her and she moved back, he flinched slightly but composed himself quickly enough. "What's going on?"

"Just answer me this Damon…" her voice wavered as she spoke, "You've never lied to me before, don't start now, I need you to tell me the truth." He stared intently at her as she spoke, "Did you kill Jeremy?"

His frown softened as his eyes looked at her with something akin to hurt, "Of course not Elena, I would never do that to you." Though Elijah's words kept reverberating in her head there was something in his expression that told her he was telling her the truth.

"You argued with my father today."

"Yes I did."

"About what?"

"An issue with the Mikaelsons," Elena stared at him confused.

"Your father has a past with them too," she closed her eyes and cursed mentally. How many more things was she kept in the dark about?

"Elena I had no motive to hurt your brother, I swear I would never hurt you that way."

"Promise?" she choked out before bursting into a fit of uncontrollable crying. Damon didn't think twice about it and walked to her, sweeping her in his strong arms. She clung to him, bunching the shirt on his back as she let herself break down completely in his arms. Now that he was here and she was with him she could let herself go, because she knew he would catch her and never let go.

Elijah was wrong, she was wrong to accuse him. She knew Damon and deep inside her heart she had always known that there was no way he would have killed Jeremy, the way he was holding her now, stroking her hair, whispering sweet word into her ears, let her know with a doubt that he would never do that to her. She felt a twinge of guilt at ever doubting him.

"I was scared to death," he muttered shakily. The excruciating interval spent from the moment Enzo had told him about what had happened to the time he had arrived at the house to finally see her, was going to haunt him for days. His body had been filled with a gut wrenching fear of something happening to her and him not being there. Now finally holding her in his arms he couldn't feel anything but sweet relief and joy, at knowing she was alive and unhurt.

"It's going to be all right _amore mio,_ " he said as she slumped completely into his arms, sheer exhaustion taking its toll on her on her. "I will find the man who did this and I will bring his heart to you," he whispered against her ear and instead of feeling repulsed by his promise she felt exhilarated. Elena belonged to Damon, she was his and if someone hurt her he was going to do everything to make them pay, to make sure she got the revenge she deserved. The thought was reassuring and empowering because right now she wanted nothing more than to make the person, who had killed her brother, pay with his life, his blood, and as painfully as possible.

"I want them dead! Damon," she cried against his chest and his arms tightened around her. "I want to kill them myself."

"No my darling, I will kill them for you," he promised her before lifting her off the floor and walking inside the house, her tears falling silently as she snuggled into his chest.

The comfort that his arms offered felt like a welcome haven, as she felt the tiredness of the last couple of hours wash over her like a tidal wave. "You would never do something like that to me right?" she whispered.

"Of course not Elena!" he answered truthfully. "I swear to you I wouldn't."

She nodded and felt herself drifting off into a numbing torpor, as he climbed the stairs and directed them to her room.

She was out cold in a matter of seconds, looking heartbreakingly vulnerable and desolate. Damon placed the duvet on top of her, kissed her forehead and stared at her for a few moments before walking out of the room in the direction of Grayson's office. Enzo had informed him that the older man hadn't left his office since hearing the horrifying news about the youngest Gilbert death, but he was damn well going to let him inside.

To Damon's surprise the door wasn't locked, only closed and as soon as he walked inside he felt assailed by a strong swell of grief at seeing the devastation etched into Grayson's Gilbert face. He looked like a broken man with nothing left inside him.

"I'm glad you're here Damon," the man said in a bare whisper as Damon walked inside the office. He took slow steps until he was standing in front of the desk behind the one Grayson was sitting on; his shirt was rumpled, his hair a mess and his red rimmed eyes stared at the floor completely hollow.

"Do you an idea of who…"

"It was them!" the older man said without a trace of a doubt. A dark shadow passed through Damon's face as he slowly took a seat on one of the black leather chairs placed in front of the desk.

"Are you sure?"

Grayson took a crumpled piece of paper that was resting in front of him and handed it to Damon. Blood stains marked the paper, a deep red fury cursed through his body as he read the words.

" _Cazzo!_ " he muttered as his eyes skimmed the letters again. "Where did you find this"

"It was inside Jeremy's pocket… when we saw his body… no one saw me pulling it out." Grayson wasn't able to meet his eyes; instead his empty stare was directed to the floor. "I never meant for this to happen"

"I know!" Damon said remembering their earlier phone conversation. "How the fuck did they managed to get inside." Damon muttered more to himself than to the older man as he leaned back in the chair. The idea that someone from the Mikaelson family was in the same house as Elena, a few hours ago, was something that distressed him more than he could explain.

"He won't stop Damon!" Grayson told him, his words bringing him out of his thoughts. The older man was looking at him now and Damon could see nothing but fear in his eyes, "They will come for Katherine and Elena."

A blind rage coursed through Damon's body at his words, "He will never touch Elena," he bit out. "You should have told me about this crap sooner Grayson."

"I know Damon, don't you think I know that!" the distraught man nearly shouted, getting agitated. "If I hadn't been so blind with pride I would have realized this was something I couldn't deal with on my own"

A few years ago, even before Damon's sister was murdered, Grayson Gilbert had a run in with the Mikaelsons', it had ended in a bloody war in which Klaus's fifteen-year old brother, Henri, had been killed accidently. Although it had been an accident and Grayson had never intended to kill the young boy, Damon knew very well, that accident or not, those things were never forgotten or forgiven in their world.

Apparently a couple of days ago, Grayson had started receiving letters and messages that hinted at a retaliation from the Russian mob, but the older man had decided to handle things on his own, thinking that the Mikaelsons' were still hiding in Russia. Damon himself had only found out that they were back in America, which was why he was so adamant about arriving in Chicago, but unfortunately it was too late, because by the time he had reached the city, Jeremy Gilbert had already paid for the sins of his father.

"This is entirely my fault!" Grayson broke into a sob and Damon felt an unfamiliar stab in the chest at the sight of the broken man in front of him. "Everything that happens after this will be my fault."

"Get a grip Grayson!" Damon muttered harshly, the need to put a reign on his feelings made him snap at the older man. "Nicklaus does not get to win." He stood up while the older mafia boss broke down into sobs in front of him. "Look at me," his voice was commanding and Grayson obeyed, lifting his teary eyes to face his glacial ones. "I will fix this mess and keep your family safe, you have my word."

A visible look of relief appeared on Grayson's face, because he like everyone else in their world, knew that once Damon made a promise there was no going back, he would fulfill it to the very end.

Damon walked out of the office, with conflicted emotions churning inside him, he couldn't erase the image of the once larger-than-life, Grayson Gilbert broken and crying in front of him, Giuseppe hadn't looked even a fraction of this devastated, when Addy had died.

Flashes of his little sister's lifeless body assaulted his mind, and he took the turn that would lead him to the library, instead of Elena's room. He was too wired and needed some time to cool off before going to her, he didn't want the monster to materialize tonight.

He entered the Gilbert's household library and breathed in the scent of old pages and the barest hint of coffee. Damon had loved to read when he was a little boy and libraries had always been his place of escape from the harsh reality, they were the sanctuary to which he would run to, when life with his father became too much. When his mind was lost inside the world of books he could pretend to be someone else, someone good.

He mentally thanked Grayson for having a stack of alcohol accessible; as he walked towards the small table placed next to the French doors that opened to a balcony, he took the decanter and poured himself a generous amount of bourbon before opening the doors and walking outside. Chicago's chilly air blustered his skin as he took a seat in one of the white Victorian chairs placed outside.

His mind kept going back to Grayson and Addy, to how different the Gilbert boss was from his father, to Jeremy and the devastation on Elena's face when he saw her. He wanted to erase that pain and kill the people responsible for putting that expression on her beautiful face.

Damon was beginning to get worried at just how much this was affecting him, he feared he was starting to feel way too much for Elena, and in his line of work this could very well signal the end for him. He needed to get a grip on himself and his emotions if he wanted to think clearly, in order to deal with the Mikaelson and end them once and for all.

"I saw you coming in here and I couldn't help it," Damon heard the soft voice of Katherine and turned around to find her standing on the threshold of the French doors. Her face was void of any make up for the first time since he met her, Damon thought briefly that she looked more beautiful like this than with all the things she piled on her face. Her dark eyes were vacant and her hair was up in a messy ponytail, she looked so vulnerable and scared that Damon felt instantly sorry for her.

"It's all right," he answered as he brought the tumbler to his lips and watched her stepping outside. "How are you?"

Her eyes stared straight ahead into the dark night, her eyes fixated on the made up swing on one of the trees in the backyard. "I don't know!"

"It's hard… to deal with death like this," he said and Katherine nodded at his words. As her eyes found his, what Damon saw in them surprised him; the girl was terrified and that was something he had never imagined her being.

"Damon… there's something I want to tell you."

He nodded, "You can tell me anything."

Her mouth opened as if to speak and just then the sound of the doors closing too harshly, resounded in the quiet night. "I'm sorry to interrupt," Damon heard the pissed off voice of his wife and turned around to see her standing at the entrance of the balcony, a look of pure fury on her face.

Katherine looked distressed at seeing her sister and instead of giving her one of her usual condescending smirks she just turned her attention back to Damon, "I'll talk you later, it wasn't important," she muttered before scurrying out of the balcony.

"That sure as hell looked cozy," she mumbled as she leaned against the balcony railings, her eyes staring daggers at him.

"It was nothing," Damon placed his tumbler on top of the railing and walked towards her.

She scowled, "Of course, it's always nothing when it comes to Kat."

"If I wanted your sister I would have taken her a long time ago," he leaned towards her, his hand finding the railings on each side of her, trapping her with his body, "She did ask to be my wife first."

Elena's eyes became steely as she raised her chin and looked him straight in the eye, defiantly, "Well maybe you should have accepted her offer, she would have been a better, more willing wife."

"I doubt that!" a half smile played on his lips, "Besides it's you I want, not her." His face leaned down until their noses were touching, he nuzzled into her face and felt her relaxing. "Nothing was happening and as much as I enjoy quarreling with you, let's not do this today."

Elena nodded as she let him take her into his arms; the effort of staying upright seemed to be too much, so she gave herself up willingly to the comfort he offered. When she had woken up on her bed and hadn't see him next to her, panic had gripped her and then seeing him with her sister only made her emotions heighten even more. Damon made her feel so out of control, she didn't know how to deal.

"I'm sorry!" she whispered, her face was buried in his chest as he stroked her back up and down.

"Don't be!" he told her gently before scooping her into his arms.

"You know I can walk right?" the hint of something resembling a smile appeared on her face as she stared into his bottomless blue eyes.

"Let me take care of you today," his expression was somber and she could do nothing but nod and snuggle into his embrace once again as he took them back to her room.

He placed her on the bed just like he had done earlier but this time her hand shot up and gripped his forearm before he could walk away. "Stay please," there was so much need in her eyes that Damon felt his chest inflate, the notion that she wanted him to stay with her made him feel like his heart would leap out of his chest. He laid down on the bed and draw her into the circle of his arms, she lifted her face up and her eyes looked into his, "Damon I need you!" Her hands went inside his shirt and she started to explore the expanse of his exposed skin frantically.

Damon felt himself getting hard with need at her touches, his eyes closed briefly as he felt her placing butterfly kisses into his jaw and neck, her tongue darting out once in a while to lick an expanse of skin. He let his own hands roam the shape of her, gripping her ass and bringing him in closer contact with his body. "Fuck me Damon!" she whispered in his ear as her hands went to work on the buttons of his jeans. Her words electrified every nerve in his body and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to stop her and pull her away from him before he ravished her.

"No _cara mia_ , not today."

She looked startled for a second before the emotion on her face transformed into pure rage, "You won't sleep with me? I should have expected this."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he watched her pulling away from him and sitting up on the bed.

"Now you've made me need you. You know how much I want you and crave you. The game is over, you already got what you wanted," she turned so her back was to him and cursed mentally. "So now I've lost all the excitement, the chase is over and you don't want the prize anymore."

"You're crazy if that's what you think."

"Don't! just shut up Damon," she shrieked furiously.

He sat up as well, suddenly angry at her for making every bone in his body want to make her feel better, a part of him hated her for making him want to be better. "You have no idea what you're talking about Elena," he moved behind her and took her in his arms, she struggled but in the end she was no match for him. "I won't touch you when you're in this state, you're confused and have no idea what you want," he said in her ear, his arms were like steel bands, pinning her to his body. "I won't fuck you tonight Elena because… I care too damn much about you." His words were choked up as he buried his face into her neck, kissing the soft skin there. Elena threw her head back letting it rest on his shoulders as he whispered into his skin "You've made me feel for you… I care too much and I know you're in pain so I won't do it."

"I'm such an idiot," she whispered contritely.

"No, you're not!"

Next thing he knew Elena had broken down in the throes of frenzied emotions, sobbing as if her heart would break. He turned her around to hold her in his arms as she cried, her tears soaking his shirt as he rocked her in the bed, giving her the comfort she craved so much, the comfort he never thought he could provide.

She cried until there were no more tears left, until finally the fatigue of the nightmarish day took over, sleep claiming her once again. He stayed awake the entire night, his eyes fixated on the rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

Elena had found the way into his heart and he was sure nothing was getting her out now.


	17. Love is passion

**HAPPY TVD FRIDAY!**

 **Yes because in my country is still friday, I hope this chapter was worth the wait.**

 **Love you guys.**

 **Thank you so much Amber for being the most amazing beta! :)**

 **P.S I'll be posting a one shot in the next few days, check it out 3**

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"Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. Cause the truth is, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived."

 **-William Parish-**

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Her eyes watered uncontrollably as she watched the coffin being lowered into the ground, the idea that her dear brother was inside was too much to bear. Once the ceremony was over they would all go back home but he was going to stay all by himself, alone in that lonely dark place underground, the thought ravaged her heart.

Elena didn't even realize she was shaking until she felt Damon's arm pulling her towards him, trying to soothe the continuous tremors shaking her body. She instantly felt a sense of relief at being in his arms and allowed her eyes to roam around the graveyard. Bonnie was crying in the arms of her grandmother, all the spark and joy, Elena had seen in her friend's eyes a couple of days ago, long gone, replaced by the hollowness and despair of incomparable loss.

Her mother, her beloved mother, who had been so enthusiastically preparing for her grand 50th birthday was now at the heartbreaking funeral of her only son on that very day, standing next to her father looking distraught as she watched her beloved son being lowered to the ground. Elena was sure she had never seen someone looking as broken as Miranda, it was as if the life had snuffed out of her and she had aged twenty years in a matter of days.

"Goddamn this life," Elena muttered as she watched a crying Katherine throwing dirt into the coffin. Her brother was dead; he had been shot in cold blood. And because of what? Money, power? Was any of it worth this anguish?

Elena felt Damon's hold tighten at the words she had whispered and she leaned into him, breathing in his scent and feeling instantly comforted by it. For a moment she wished they could be different; a normal couple who had met under normal circumstances and led a normal family life. A couple in love, with nothing but happy days in their future, she didn't give a damn about riches and luxury, she could be happy without all the trappings of wealth and power as long as she had the people she loved around her.

But that was only a pipe dream.

The bitter reality was that the life she had to live was very different from the one she dreamed of, and there was nothing she could do to change that. She closed her eyes trying to swallow the bitter truth and remained glued to Damon for the rest of the ceremony, she didn't want to face the world yet, she wasn't ready to.

When it was time to leave he walked her to the limo they had arrived in and told her she would have to go with Caroline and Stefan because he had something to discuss with her father, but that he would be right behind them. She fought him on that since she didn't want to be parted from him even for a second but Caroline managed to convince her that everything was going to be okay.

Damon watched the limo disappearing in the distance and brought his hand to his chest, massaging the spot where his heart was beating frantically, trying to relieve some of the pain he felt at seeing his wife so broken and devastated. He sighed and walked towards Grayson, his eyes avoiding the image of Miranda Gilbert, it was like he was transported to the past and it was his mother's empty eyes he was staring in, so he tried to avoid her at all costs.

"You need to get a grip, Grayson!" Damon muttered under his breath when he reached the older man. He looked absolutely shattered, the man in front of him wasn't even a shadow of the man he used to be. "They're all vultures and they can't see you weak," Damon told him as his eyes wandered across to the people still standing in the graveyard.

"I don't care anymore, Damon!" His voice was dull and broken as he spoke.

"Well care! because you still have two daughters who need you alive," he bit out harshly as he placed a hand on the man's arms and forced him to stop in his tracks. "And we can't have you appearing weak."

Grayson's seemed to think about his words and then nodded, as his eyes regained that old vigor briefly, "I want Niklaus dead!"

"You'll have him dead but I need you to be complete and not shattered like this!"

Grayson nodded as his thoughts went to his daughters who still needed him to be the mob boss he always had been, "I will but I need you to take them with you."

Damon looked at him questioningly, "Who?"

"Elena, Miranda, Jenna and Kat," he answered firmly. "I want you to take them to New York as fast as you can, you're the only one who can protect them."

Damon nodded even though he wasn't sure how wise it was to have both Katherine and Elena living under the same roof. "I had already planned to take a flight at night so yes they can come."

"Good!" Grayson nodded as he resumed walking towards the limo where Miranda was waiting for him. Not wanting to face her grief, Damon bid the elder man farewell and headed in the direction of the waiting car which Enzo had parked close by.

Damon got inside the car looking visibly distressed and Enzo started the engine immediately, his hand tapped the dashboard absently, his eyes trained on the window, as he watched the outside world passing by.

"What now boss?" Enzo asked as his eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

"We must lure that mother fucker out!" Damon bit out furiously, he was completely distressed by the knowledge that Klaus was continuously managing to fly under his radar. "I don't like that he got us by surprise."

Enzo shook his head as a muscle started to twitch in his jaw, "I was there the entire time and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, there weren't signs of someone breaking in…" he sighed as he stopped himself from saying what he really wanted to.

"What?" Damon asked, so attuned to his soldier that nothing passed by him, he knew there was something he wanted to tell him.

"I believe that the Gilbert house was compromised, there's someone in there who isn't who he pretends to be," the English man said as his hands gripped the steering wheel forcefully. Enzo was a man who took his job very seriously and hated knowing that someone had managed to sneak under him.

A frown appeared on Damon's forehead as he mulled over the words of his friend, for some reason his mind went over to Katherine and the frightened expression he had seen on her face the day that she had come to see him. "Enzo I want a complete investigation on Elijah's Smith backstory."

Enzo's eye brows shot up and glanced briefly at his boss, "That's one of the first things we did Boss!"

"I want another one," he growled, "A more through search, there's something I don't like about him and my instincts are never wrong."

"As you command," the other man nodded. "And what about Niklaus?"

"Are you keeping tabs on the blonde?" Damon asked as he pulled out his phone to send a text asking for the jet to be ready for take off in a few hours, he couldn't wait to have Elena back in New York, safe and sound.

"Never stopped"

"Good!" he dropped his phone on his lap and turned his head to stare at his friend. "I have to think this one through"

Niklaus had crossed a line, going after Elena's brother, Damon knew the attack wasn't against him per se, but he had known the Bratva's boss and how his mind worked for so long that he knew for certain he was taunting him. He wanted to anger him in hopes that he would lash out without thinking and make a grave mistake, but what Niklaus Mikaelson didn't know was that although Guissepe Salvatore might have been more brutal, Damon was far smarter.

Once they reached the house, he informed Elena of their imminent departure and told her to be ready, and then proceeded to lock himself in the library with Enzo and Stefan until it was time to leave.

Elena on the other hand, went to her mother and begged her to come with them to New York but Miranda refused. Although she knew it might not be safe to stay behind, she wasn't ready to say goodbye to the memories of her son and the house where they shared so many happy moments together. Elena wanted nothing more than to take her mother with her but decided to let it go because what did she know about grieving over the loss of a child? She had to let her mother deal with her pain in the way she wanted to.

Katherine refused to come as well, she claimed she couldn't leave Elijah and Elena was too caught up in her own pain to realize that her sister and her former boyfriend had barely spoken a word to each other in the last few days.

As she and Caroline packed their bags, Elena couldn't help her mind going back to her brother and how affectionate his hugs had been, how kind his last words to her had been and how much she loved him. She understood Damon's pain now and his anger as well, she had once heard that whilst pursuing revenge, you must dig two graves because something in you will die for sure on that soul destroying journey, yet she found herself not caring about what happened to her because at the moment there was nothing she wanted more than for the people who did that to her brother to pay with their blood.

"Caroline what does Niklaus look like?" the blonde stopped folding her dresses and lifted her eyes to see Elena who was now sitting down and trying to close her suitcase.

"Why do you ask?"

Elena shrugged, "Curiosity"

Caroline sighed and resumed her task, "I don't really know. The Mikaelsons ran away to Russia when I was ten and nobody has actually seen them in fourteen years. If I ever met him again I don't think I will recognize him, I don't remember and I doubt they look the same after so long."

"Doesn't that makes them more dangerous?" Elena asked an edge of fear tinging her voice, and Caroline gave her a sympathetic smile.

"To us maybe but I doubt Damon will ever forget that face," Caroline closed her suitcase and sat on the bed reaching her hand out to touch Elena's briefly, "Don't worry Elena, I know you're still shaken up but Damon will never allow him to get close to you."

Elena nodded even though she wasn't sure she believed what Caroline was saying, her brother's death was proof that no one was safe and no one could truly protect anyone.

When it was time to leave Elena clung to her parents like she hadn't done since she was a child, her eyes welled with tears and she could feel herself breaking down all over again but knew she had to be strong; because they couldn't be so she had to be strong for all of them.

Once inside the plane, Stefan and Caroline sat in the back while Jenna slept soundlessly next to Bonnie in the front. Her friend was in such a bad state that they had to give her sleeping pills, thankfully she hadn't refused Elena's offer to accompany her to New York. Bonnie was an only child and her mother was no longer in the picture, Elena knew if she stayed back in Chicago without Jeremy she was going to break down completely.

Elena felt tiredness invading her entire body and Damon coaxed her to rest her head on his lap so she could sleep more comfortably. Elena relished in this tender side of Damon, the doting husband who wanted to make her feel better, so for once she did as she was told without arguing and let herself be cuddled by him.

Elena wondered if the pain of losing Jeremy would ever fade away or would it remain indelibly like a wound that never healed and kept opening up again and again to lacerate the senses with anguish each time. She wanted to ask Damon about his sister but knew how much he hated to talk about it so she remained quiet instead, feeling the weariness taking over again.

Her head was resting on his lap as he stroked her soft hair gently, her eyes were closed and the steady rise and fall of her chest managed to soothe the dark thoughts swirling inside his head. She had asked him to teach her how to fight, he had refused the minute the words had left her mouth but after a lot of arguing she had made him see the logic of her reasoning. She didn't want to feel powerless so he agreed to train her with the help of Enzo. He hated the fact that their lifestyle had necessitated her to ask him for that, hated that they were in a position where learning basic defenses could save her life. He wanted nothing more than keep her safe, surrounded by soft and pretty things, in the very glass window she had once accused him of keeping her in, at least there she would be out of harm's way and nothing bad would happen to her. Because the thought of anything happening to her tore him from the inside and he honestly didn't know if he could survive her loss, if anything happened to her he would wreak devastation destroying everything in his path.

As he looked at her, he once again realized how young she truly was, she was only twenty-one and he had already dragged her through so much. Barely a woman and already married to one of the most dangerous mafia bosses.

He never felt sorrier for his actions, than in that moment. He hated himself for what he had done to her and how horribly he had behaved with her since taking her away to New York.

"Perdonami dolcezza!" he whispered and knew she was awake when he felt her heart start beating frantically in her chest, "Perdonami."

Her eyes opened and he found himself mesmerized by those chocolate orbs that seemed to stare directly into his soul, "Damon…" she breathed out huskily and he smiled softly at her, his hand stroking her cheek lovingly.

"Yes?"

She inhaled and her eyes widened as she looked at the tenderness in his eyes "I- Damon I…" he put a finger on her lips and stopped her from saying whatever she wanted to say.

"Later," he whispered and leaned down to kiss her forehead, her eyes fluttered at the contact and as he went back to stroking her hair softly, her eyes closed again and she drifted off to sleep ensconced in the safe warmth of his touch.

Elena was still half asleep when they arrived at the house, he took her in his arms and carried her all the way into the bedroom like he had done the first time they flown there. He placed her on the bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead, when she opened her eyes and raised a hand to stroke his cheek.

"Please Damon," she whispered and he knew exactly what she was asking, there was no hesitation in her eyes just a burning desire.

"You're not in your right mind Elena."

"You think I don't know what I want but you're wrong."

"Elena…"

"Please Damon, help me feel," her eyes pleaded with him as her hand kept caressing his face. "I feel so cold inside, I don't want to be like this anymore. I want to feel warm and alive even if it's just for a while."

He took a deep breath and dropped his forehead onto hers, there was only so much someone could take and he was only a man. A man whose knees grew week at the sight of the woman on his bed.

"Tu mi hai stregato Elena," he murmured before joining their lips together. He worshiped her mouth as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him. There was hunger in his touch but it wasn't aggressive like it was most of the times between them, his touch was tender and so loving that Elena felt her toes curling in pleasure because of it.

He pulled apart from her and reached into a drawer in the nightstand, her heart raced when she saw the condom wrapper in his hands. "Just relax" his words were a silky whisper against her hot skin.

Her dress had ridden up and left the skin on her thighs exposed, he licked his lips as his eyes raked through the length of her body, waves after waves of lust crashed into his entire body, making him so hard he thought he would burst if he wasn't inside her, "La tua belleza mi toglie il fiato Elena." His hand caressed the bare, silky skin of her legs, her head was thrown back and her eyes closed as she relished in the burning need she felt for him. "I've never seen anything more beautiful"

He leaned down and placed an open mouthed kiss on her belly while his hand continued riding her dress up. "I need you Damon" she gasped writhing against him as his erotic kisses blew her mind and when his hands slipped between her legs into her slick dampness and played with her bundle of nerves expertly her body bucked out of the bed and she screamed breathlessly as her body tightened around the fingers curled inside her wet sheath giving her the friction she needed, "Oh God, oh my Damon…" she screamed as her body convulsed and she felt her vision darken with the sheer force of her orgasm. "Damon..."

"I need you more!" he growled at the sound of his name from her impassioned voice, his voice was dripping with desire, as he spoke. He could feel his cock throbbing with pure need and knew he needed to have her right at this moment or he would surely burn alive, "Sei bellisima madonna mia." His eyes drank her in as he helped her out of her dress, her round heavy breast bared to his scorching gaze and he couldn't resist pushing them together to form a cleavage and running his tongue between them before he took one rosy nipple into his mouth, making them harden immediately and she arched towards him pushing her breasts into his sinful mouth. "I love the way you taste, Elena, I could live on it."

Elena gasped as she threw her head back again; the feel of his wet mouth on her feverish skin was making her feel out of control as she felt her lower belly tighten once again as her core clenched. "I need to feel your skin," she panted as she tried to get rid of his t-shirt. Damon took the hint and broke apart from her just long enough to remove his clothes and then leaned down once again to feast on her flesh.

She took hold of his face and pulled him towards her waiting mouth, their tongues massaging each other with pure abandon as they kissed wildly. What he was doing to her was beyond her wildest dreams, she had never thought such pleasure as she was feeling right now existed. Every nerve ending was ablaze and her whole body was tingling with sensations of pure delight. Her hands roamed the expanse of his back as he thrust against her; the feel of his large hard member against her clothed core was driving her mad with want and she gasped in frenzy, each and every cell in her body so desperate to join with his that she grasped his thighs between her legs and started to clench it tightly, as she moved up and down on it, desperate to create friction and satisfy the need between her legs.

"Damon…please," she panted as he broke apart from her and leaned his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes as his hand reached into the hem of her panties and started lowering them, ridding themselves of the final barrier between their bodies. "Oh fuck, you're so beautiful…" he groaned and Elena felt the wetness between her legs growing even more, just by the way he was looking at her, his eyes almost black with desire and his voice husky with want.

"Sono ubriaco di te cara mia," he leaned back and rested on his knees as his eyes travelled all over her body. He swore nothing could be more beautiful than her at that moment. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair wild, the tips of her nipples were pointed towards him and her abdomen was contracted with want, "You make me feel drunk darling."

Her breath hitched, when he tore open the condom wrapper and rolled it down his length, she wanted to reach out and touch it but lacked the confidence to do it, not aware that her entire body was trembling with the nerves burning inside her. "Relax Tesoro," he told her gently as if reading her mind.

"I am"

"No you're not," the hint of a smirk appeared on his face as he lowered himself once again. His lips finding hers immediately, and she groaned into his mouth as his naked chest rubbed against hers.

His hand moved between her legs and she arched her back when she felt him playing with her folds, "Look at me!" he commanded as he positioned the tip of his member at her entrance. "Look at me Elena," he repeated and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her with such hunger that it frightened her for a moment.

He eased inside her and she squirmed slightly with the discomfort, "Relax!" his lips tipped up in a gentle smile and she felt her body easing up under his warm stare. "I fucking love you Elena Salvatore!" he whispered gutturally before thrusting all the way in, taking her virginity and her breath away with one swift move of his hips.

Her eyes filled with tears both at the pain and the words that came out of his lips, she wondered briefly if it was something he truly meant or it was something that he had whispered in the throes of passion.

"Mine, mine, mine!" he babbled against the skin of her neck. "Sei tutta mia," he kissed her shoulder and raised his face to stare into her. "Are you all right?"

A tear leaked from the corner of her eye as she nodded, he placed his lips there and kissed it away, the act warming her heart in ways she couldn't explain. "Move Damon!" he smirked and withdrew his hips before slowly slamming them back against hers.

He began a slow steady rhythm of pulling out and thrusting back into her. Her back arched and her arms wrapped around his back pulling him closer towards her body, "Fuck Elena!" he groaned next to her ear before sucking lightly on her earlobe.

Her hands wandered across the muscles on his back before settling on his ass cheeks, urging him to go deeper. Damon hissed at the feel of their pelvic bones smashing against each other, the sound of skin against skin was almost vulgar "Ardo per te amore mio, sempre ardo per te," he whispered gruffly against her ear before reaching for her mouth again and moving one of his hands between their bodies finding the sensitive bud between her legs.

She gasped into his mouth breaking their kiss, bodies damp with perspiration and breathing labored as he thrust repeatedly into her, "Damon I…" her eyes rolled in the back of her head and her words were cut off as a sound of uncontained pleasure erupted from her mouth and her eyes closed to the pleasure ripping through her body.

Damon groaned at the sounds coming from her mouth, and the way she was pulsing around him managed to send him over the edge, his balls tightened and he threw his head as he felt her nails dug into his ass, he felt his belly clench and he growled her name as he came violently, shudder after shudder wracked his body in the most powerful orgasm he had ever experienced. It was the most amazing feeling in the world and he never wanted it to end.

"What the fuck was that?" Elena said while trying to catch her breath, her whole face was flushed and he swore he could watch her like this for the rest of his life.

"That my love was us giving in to our passion for each other," he pulled out of her, pride swelling in his chest at the small whimper that left her lips at his withdrawal. He stood up and threw the condom into the trash before heading into the bathroom and returning with a warm damp cloth to clean between her legs like he had done the very first time they were intimate.

When he climbed back into the bed, she was already under the covers and still fully naked. "Can we do this everyday?" she asked mischievously when he assumed his normal position behind her.

He laughed and felt her laughing with him, her body wriggling under his, "Dolcezza we're going to be doing this everyday, and sometimes more than once in the day, don't worry about it" he told her before playfully nipping the junction where her neck met her shoulder.

"Promise?" she threw her head back and gifted him with a cheeky smile.

He smiled back at her and touched his nose to hers, "Promise," he told her before moving his hand between her legs again and ripping more sounds of pleasure from her mouth.

She knew they should talk about the words he had inadvertently murmured in the middle of their love making and the ones she had almost blurted out twice that same night, but the feel of his fingers between her legs was so good and she felt so ready to give into him again that decided to lock her thoughts in a small part of her head to be brought out at a later date.

There would be time for that tomorrow; right now she only wanted to be worshiped by him again and lose herself in the carnal delight of their lovemaking.

* * *

 **"Perdonami dolcezza - "Forgive me sweetness**

 **"Tu mi hai stregato Elena" – you have bewitched me**

 **"La tua belleza mi toglie il fiato Elena – Your beauty takes my breath away**

 **"Sono ubriaco di te cara mia," – I am drunk at you my dear**

 **"Sei tutta mia," – you are all mine**

 **"Ardo per te amore mio, sempre ardo per te - I burn for you my love, always burning for you**


	18. Fear cuts deeper than swords

_**HAPPY TVD FRIDAY!**_

 _ **This is a long one guys, I really hope you like where this story is going. I have this story outlined for 29 chapters, It's going to be the longest for me so we still have a long road ahead of us, luckily you'll love it as much as me.**_

 _ **Hope you're all having a great day, thanks a lot for reading and thanks a lot to Amber for being the best beta ever.**_

 _ **PS. Remember this is all fiction guys!**_

 _ **Love you**_

* * *

 _"Fear is the devil's greatest illusion_."

 **-R.M DRAKE-**

 **.**

 **.**

Pain was an emotion that Elena had never experienced before; her family had always mollycoddled her and kept her away from all the things that could cause her any sort of emotional or physical harm. Her childhood had been a happy one; filled with love, laughs and lots of joyous moments to treasure.

This agony she was feeling right now was crippling and tiring, and sometimes it struck her so hard that even the notion of leaving the bed in the mornings exhausted her. Memories of her brother lying on the ground inundated her mind, tormenting images of his lifeless body swirled in her brain, torturing her constantly. Pain was something new to her and she hated every minute of it, but she seemed to be unable to escape its vicelike grip on her heart.

Ever since she had returned to New York, time had become a strange thing to her, sometimes it went too fast and at other times it was agonizingly slow. Soon the hours became days and the days turned into weeks and without realizing it, it was already two months since that ill-fated night her brother had left her forever. February brought cold white nights with it and Elena found herself passing many a day making snow angels with Maytana.

She and Damon were closer and they were together more than ever before, ever since the first time they had made love they would spend many nights tangled around each other. Elena never knew it was possible to feel so much for someone, every kiss and every touch fueled her need for him even further. The only moments that the pain seem to abate were those that she spent with him.

He was different too, gentler and kinder. He and Enzo had been working with her, teaching her various techniques of self-defense and that included lessons in how to use a gun. Damon had taken her to dinner and to the movies, they had a picnic in central park and even went away for a week to the Hamptons; it was like he was trying to take her away from all the grief and keep her occupied so that her mind wouldn't drift to relive those horrendous memories of her brother's untimely and cruel death.

All the kindness and attention Damon was bestowing on her served to carve an even bigger place in her heart for him and though she still had not said it out loud, Elena was absolutely sure she had fallen in love with her husband. Unfortunately, she had no idea what he felt for her, he had once told her that he wasn't capable of loving anyone. Although in the darkness of the night when he thought she was asleep, she could hear him whispering it to her, she wasn't sure whether he was ready to admit it or acknowledge what he felt in the cold light of the day.

Did he truly mean what he said? Or was it something uttered in the heat of the moment when he found himself too caught up in the overwhelming feelings of their shared intimacy and passion, did those words slip out even though he didn't feel them. Did Damon love her? and even if he did could he acknowledge it or even recognize it as love? Elena wanted to know the answer to that question more than anything but was too much of a coward to ask.

That particular morning, Elena woke up not wanting to go out or socialize, so she laid lazily in bed for a few minutes, scrolling through her social media before getting up to take a shower and heading out towards the garden to eat breakfast.

The weather was still chilly so she wrapped a wool cardigan around herself before taking her breakfast from the kitchen and heading outside. There she found someone she hadn't expected to see; Lilian Salvatore. She barely left her room most of the days so it was startling to find her sitting on one of the white garden table chairs placed outside.

Elena hesitated a second but then decided to sit next to the older woman who greeted her with a small smile that hid a world of sorrow. Lily always seemed to be sad and it broke Elena's heart to know the reason behind the unhappiness in the woman's eyes.

"Good morning, Elena!" the elder woman greeted her.

"Good morning Mrs. Salvatore!"

Lily looked at her with a twinkle in her eyes, "Please call me Lily, you are Mrs. Salvatore now."

Elena laughed nervously, "I still find it weird to be addressed as that."

Lily made a tsking sound under her breath and at the same time she shook her head lightly, "Of course, God knows my son achieved that in the worst way possible."

A fleeting shadow passed through Elena's eyes as she recalled how her relationship with Damon was anything but normal and that he had indeed approached her in the worst way possible, "It's okay, it's in the past now."

"You're a kind soul, Elena," Lily smiled warmly at her and reached across the table to hold her hand. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Elena swallowed through the lump in her throat at the mention of Jeremy and nodded at the other woman, "Thank you"

Lilly's eyes were sad as she stared at her, before releasing her hand and leaning back on her chair, "I can only pray you'll find a way to heal from this wound," she said as she pulled away her hand to play with the cross that rested on her neck.

"I'm trying," Elena answered before taking her cup of tea to her mouth and sipping slowly, the warm liquid felt wonderful against her throat on the cold, blustery morning of February.

"But it's hard" her eyes had a faraway look as she said melancholically, "I should know, but this is the price for the life we live." Her knuckles were white where she was clutching the cross around her neck firmly.

Elena's mind went back to her brother's lifeless body; Jeremy never had a choice or a chance, he was always meant to be who he was and that meant living with a target on his back from the moment he came into the world. "Not fair right?"

"Not at all" Lily said gloomily. "I hope you can find comfort in Damon."

"I am" Elena answered truthfully. While it was true that her relationship with Damon hardly had a conventional start and they had begun their journey on the wrong foot, he had changed a lot over the past few weeks, and to give him credit, it was solely due to his tender treatment and supportiveness that she had not completely lost her sanity after Jeremy's brutal murder.

"He wasn't always like this you know. He was such a bright boy once upon a time but his father managed to destroy every trace of goodness in him." A hint of bitterness tinged her voice as she spoke, "I must warn you though, if its love you are after, you will be disappointed… I don't know if you'll be able to get it from him."

Elena's blood ran cold at hearing the words that left her mother-in-law's mouth, "Lily I don't think…"

"I remember when he was eight years old, I had been so caught up in taking care of Stefan that I didn't realize my husband was sinking his claws too deep into my baby boy," a shadow of regret appeared briefly on her face as she cut Elena's sentence to continue. "That summer Julian Falcone came to live in the house, he was my husband's consigliore and most trusted adviser, he brought his family with him. Nora and Beau," a smile appeared on her lips. "They were Damon's age and became instant friends," Lily sighed as her eyes appeared to be lost in old remembrances, "My boy became happy again, he loved those two deeply and during the year they lived here he smiled again."

"What happened?"

Lily's expression became aggravated, "Julian Falcone broke the most sacred rule of La famiglia."

Elena felt her stomach wrenching with the realization "…omertá," she whispered in a stricken tone.

"And you know what happens to rats."

"Oh my God!" Elena uttered horrified as the inkling of what might have transpired struck her.

Lily's face looked contorted with rage and yet when she spoke her voice was as soft and serene as always, "He took Damon with him you know? My eight-year-old boy had to stand still as his father killed his dear childhood friends." Her hand went back to play with the cross around her neck, "Some say he burned them alive, others that he shot them, I'll never know but Damon does, I'm sure the image is etched in his brain."

Elena felt the blood draining from her face as she stared at her mother-in-law, and while she tried to be objective and put herself in the woman's shoes, she couldn't fathom the idea of a mother allowing someone to harm her child in that horrific way without doing something about it, "Oh God!" she uttered.

"I know what you must think of me," Lily told her as if she had somehow read Elena's thoughts. "But you never knew my husband, you don't know the kind of monster he was," her eyes looked wild now. "You're lucky Damon is not like Giuseppe, he's not as much of a barbarian or inhuman as he was. Giuseppe was a depraved sadist who relished in blood, Damon does not but something inside him is broken." Her voice wavered as she spoke, "I don't think he's capable of love Elena, I don't think he can feel!"

Elena stared at the woman not knowing what to say, her eyes burned with unshed tears, "I don't think that's true."

"You have a kind soul, Elena," she smiled sympathetically at her and once again reached out to hold her hand. "Don't let him break you."

"He won't, he won't..." Elena said with conviction. She didn't believe what Lily or even Damon himself told her, she knew that somewhere deep inside him there was a man who was capable of love; she just had to try harder to find him.

They spent the rest of their breakfast in complete silence, Elena's mind kept churning with all the information Lily had shared with her and her heart ached for that defenseless little child who had the innocence stolen for him in the cruelest of manners.

Damon's loved ones suffered because of the life he lived. Why would he allow himself to love anyone when he knew that sooner or later someone would rob him off them? In so many ways, he was still that little boy whose friends had been brutally killed in front of him, whose mom wasn't strong enough to defend him and whose father, the man he admired the most, had dealt callously with him and everyone around him.

Bit by bit, Elena felt herself unraveling the enigma that was Damon Salvatore and with every new piece of information she unearthed, she started to wonder if perhaps salvation was possible for him.

Elena spent the rest of the morning locked in her workshop; her mood was despondent and she really didn't feel like going out. Her mind was occupied with thoughts of her husband and her brother, as her hands busied themselves with the sketchbook in front of her. She got lost in her work for hours, but as soon as she heard him arrive she dropped everything and ran to their bedroom, only to find him bruised, with a shirt stained with blood.

"What happened?" she asked in a strained whisper but he ignored her as he headed towards the bathroom and discarded his shirt. "Damon… what happened?" she asked more loudly now.

He smashed his hands against the granite counter and Elena saw how hurt and bloodied they were, "Klaus Mikaelson is what happened!"

She felt a hole form in her stomach at the mention of that name, "What do you mean?" Fear gripped her at the idea of Damon facing that man, "You saw him!"

His jaw twitched as he turned to face her, "No, but it seems apparently I can't control my own people anymore." His eyes blazed with fury and for the briefest of seconds she was afraid of him.

"What?"

Damon started to unbutton his shirt and she could see his hand shaking with barely contained rage, "Fucking Klaus eluding me is making some people doubt if I'm cut out to be their boss!"

She walked towards him and held his hands stopping them as she started to unbutton his shirt, "So tonight…?"

He bit out the words as he let her finish with the buttons of his shirt, "I was reminding them why am I called the _capo di tutti capi_!"

Elena stayed in silence for a few seconds, trying to process what he was telling her, she wondered if the bloodied hands that now lay at his sides had taken a life tonight and what it meant that she didn't even care if they had.

"Aren't bugs more drawn to honey?" she asked with genuine interest while helping him out of his bloodied shirt. She threw the shirt onto the floor and guided him to a granite bench placed next to the shower.

"It doesn't apply to all things," he said as she forced him to sit down and went to the sink cabinet to retrieve a first aid kit, "Machiavelli's entire work in 'The Prince' talks about how it is better to be feared than loved because in the end the fear of pain is the only thing that will remain."

He felt his rage diminishing and he watched with rapt interest as she sat on his lap and placed the kit and a water bowl next to him on the bench, "But also you have to find the balance to be fearsome but no enough to be hated."

"Damn!" she said as she took a towel and dipped it in the water.

"It's not an easy job" he said softly as she took his hand and wiped the blood off it with the wet cloth. His heart started to beat frantically in his chest at her sweet gesture and that weakness bothered him. "I can't let them believe I am weak, because I am not," he bit out harshly.

"I know that!" Elena nodded as she focused on the job of cleaning his bloodied and bruised knuckles. They remained in silence as she washed his hands and then applied antiseptic before putting a small bandage on them. He watched her ministrations with utter fascination, as no one before her had ever been so tender and gentle with him as they tended to his wounds.

There was no doubt in his mind that Elena was not like anyone he had met before and with each passing day he spent by her side he found himself falling deeper into the pureness that was her essence. He was so wrapped up in her that he was starting to lose sight of who he was, and that is the very thing that was causing him so much trouble lately.

When she dropped the first aid kit back on the bench and told him she was done, he couldn't help himself and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body closer to his so he could bury his face in her chest, "You drive me crazy you know that?" Her hand went instantly to his naked back, caressing the soft skin there, "From the moment I laid eyes on you I knew I couldn't let you go."

Elena felt tale tell signs of arousal starting to build in her and her heart beat begin to soar, but she didn't let herself be swept away by it, "Damon…"

"You're all I can think about…all the time," he started kissing the bit of olive skin showed by her cleavage as his hands toyed with the buttons of her shorts, "I'm obsessed with you."

"Damon…can I ask you something?" the minute the words left her mouth he stopped his kisses and raised his head to stare at her.

"Anything!"

Elena took a deep breath and shuddered as she spoke, "Do you love me?" His eyes widened and she saw something resembling fear in them, "or is it just an obsession that you feel for me?"

"Elena…" he trailed off and took a deep breath before continuing, "I care about you, so much." He dropped his forehead until it was pressed against hers. "I care for you more than I've ever cared for anyone but I don't think I can ever love you or anyone for that matter."

She felt the air being sucked out of her lungs and she felt like she had been sucker punched; she had wanted to believe that hearing him say it wouldn't affect her as much, but the truth was that she felt devastated. She wanted her husband's love more than anything and hearing him say he could never do it was a direct blow to her heart. "Then why did you told me?" Her voice was a strained whisper as she spoke; his eyes looked at her pleadingly. Wanting her to understand something she couldn't even understand himself. "All right then," she raised her chin trying not to break down in front of him and to maintain some semblance of her dignity, she moved to stand up but his hands on her hips stopped her.

"No, hear me out!" his voice was pleading in a way she had never heard before, "It's not about you or even about us, it's all about me. I told you once that I'm not capable of love and I wasn't lying but that doesn't mean you are nothing to me, you're everything! I would die for you; I would do anything for you," his fingers were digging into the skin of her hips as his eyes begged with her to understand.

"I love you!" she blurted out, unable to keep it hidden much longer, his eyes widened at this and he let out a soft gasp.

"Elena…" he whispered looking down dejectedly not knowing what to say. How long had he wished for those words? How long had he selfishly wanted to become the center of her world and now that she was telling him those very words, he couldn't help but feel a stab of pain in his chest because this wasn't fair to her, because he had done it all wrong and he was going ending up hurting one of the only people he cared about in the world.

He had yearned for her love, knowing fully well that he could never love her back the way she deserved to be loved and wasn't that the vilest act someone could commit against a person? He had taken her out of her world and brought her into his, only to bring suffering to her life. Wasn't he the worst kind of monster?

The touch of her hand on his cheek, made him search her eyes with his once again, "It's the truth, I've fought so much against it but I couldn't help it. I love you!" Her eyes were glistening with tears and a resigned smile graced her lips, "And I'm okay with that because I will love enough for both of us."

He dropped his head into her chest and once again drew her to him, "I don't deserve you!" The emotions eddying inside him threatened to rip him apart, he felt an overwhelming need to be close to her, to somehow her how much she truly meant to him, "God knows I don't deserve you."

Damon raised his head and brought her lips to his, getting lost in the taste of her immediately. His hands found the edge of her camisole and he lowered the straps right alongside her bra and pressed her closer to him, their naked chests touching each other in the most delicious of ways. She gasped into his mouth and he relished in the feeling of their breaths mingling with each other, that way she could become a part of him.

"Solo con te riesco ad essere felice Elena," he whispered against her lips, she closed her eyes and threw hear head back, he immediately ran his fingers down her neck to her breast before latching his mouth to her dusky nipples.

"Oh Damon!" she whimpered as he nipped and sucked on her nipples.

Her hands were tangled in his hair as he worshiped her chest like a starving man, Elena had come to notice that Damon was a breast man and every time he had the chance he demonstrated her how much he loved hers. "Damn it Damon" She groaned as she moved her lower body to rub against him. His fingers dug deeper into the skin of her hips as he thrust upwards, trying to relieve some of the tension growing inside him. His aching cock was crying to be released and buried inside her warmness.

"Damn it woman" He whispered against her chest, his tongue swirling around her dusky nipples.

They were so caught up in each other that they missed the door opening and footsteps approaching. They realized someone was in the room only when they heard him speak, "Not my intention to interrupt but I need you!" His brother's clipped words made Damon stop in his tracks, his jaw clenching when he saw the state Elena was in and how much of her body was uncovered to prying eyes.

"If you value your life you would turn around Stefan," he all but growled as Elena tried to adjust her clothes back on, rose tainting her cheeks.

"You're ridiculous," Stefan said rolling his eyes.

"Not joking," Damon bit out.

The young Salvatore huffed and headed back into the bedroom, "Fine!"

Damon placed a final peck on Elena's lips before she stood up, "What is it?" he asked.

He heard Stefan's impatient grunt, "Get the fuck out of there."

"Someone's grumpy," he chuckled as he walked out of the bathroom with Elena trailing behind him, "What is this?"

Stefan thrust what seemed to be a letter into his hands, "Read it."

Damon skimmed through the paper in his heads and felt the blood start to boil in his veins as he finally understood the look of utter rage on his brother's face, "Mother fucking son of a bitch!"

Elena frowned; worry filling her at seeing the distressed expression on her husband's face, "What happened?"

Damon sighed and proceeded to read the contents of the letter his brother had handed over to him.

 _I've never seen anything more beautiful than the sun light reflecting on her golden hair or smelled anything sweeter than her floral perfume and the hint of lavender she carries around._

 _Her laughter and the sound of her voice, make me dream about my name coming out of those lovely lips._

 _You own something I want, something that will be mine sooner or later._

 _Send my love to Caroline!_

 _ **K.M**_

"Oh my God" Elena covered her mouth with her hand as she shrieked out in utter astonishment and fear.

Stefan's eyes flared up as he took the note from his brother's hands and crumpled it in his hands, "I am going to rip his head off with my bare hands," he snarled, barely contained rage and venom dripping out of his every word.

"Where is she?" Elena asked worriedly.

"With her mother, on her way here!"

"Fuck!" Damon muttered, running his hands through his hair.

"I mean it Damon; I am going to kill that son of a bitch!"

Damon nodded knowing fully well that even though his brother might not always seem to be cut out for the job, he loved Caroline dearly and would never let anyone touch her. Klaus Mikaelson had made a huge mistake threatening his brother's girl, because now both the Salvatores were going to unleash their fury on him.

When Caroline came back with her mother, the atmosphere in the living room was filled with tension, as Stefan paced back in fort in front of the fireplace. The worried blonde tried to reassure them once again that there was no way she had met Nicklaus Mikaelson without realizing it.

"There must be something or someone you're missing out," Damon insisted, one of his hands was encompassed in Elena's and she was tracing circles on it's back, the mere action soothing him and forcing him to release the tension that had assailed him ever since the moment his brother had showed him the letter.

"Caroline honey think again," Liz Forbes, the renowned and dangerous Queen Pin told her daughter. Elena couldn't conceive how stupid Nicklaus could be to mess with Caroline knowing fully well to what an extent she was protected by a great deal of people.

"Come on, Stefan you know I've had a body guard with me most days since the incident at Elena's house," the agitated blonde told them and Damon squeezed Elena's hand sympathetically at the mention of what had happened in her house. Although the memory of that day still haunted her, at the moment the only thing she could worry about was the safety of her friend.

"Let's trace back your steps," the younger Salvatore said while showing his fiancée much more patience than what he was actually feeling. "Come on sweetheart."

Caroline huffed and slumped back against the wine colored couch in the Salvatore living room, "Let's see I wake up and go to that coffee shop I love so much in Brooklyn, then to my yoga class, then to work." She directed her eyes towards Stefan, "You meet me at work, we eat lunch there and then come out and I either come here or go with mom and that's it!"

"There's no way he could meet you at work," Damon said more to himself than anyone else. Caroline worked as one of the managers of the restaurant's in the Salvatore chain so there was no way Klaus could sneak in there without having someone from his people spot him.

"Have you noticed someone weird in yoga class?" Elena asked her friend.

Caroline shook her head and her mother released a huff, distressed at their inability to pinpoint where that despicable man had approached her daughter, "It's an all-girls class."

Stefan was about to speak again, a vein popping in his forehead when Enzo walked inside holding a manila envelope, "Boss I have them!" the man said before handing the paper over to Damon who wasted no time in tearing it up immediately.

"Great, thanks Enzo!" Damon said and the English man nodded before leaning against the wall next to the fireplace. "Caroline this is a picture of Nicklaus, a few years back, he was around twenty when this picture was taken."

Damon stood up, missing Elena's hand in his immediately, and went to her sister-in-law handing her the picture he was holding. "Oh my God!" Caroline gasped making Stefan turn in her direction and sit next to her on the couch immediately, "I've seen him."

"Where?" her boyfriend bit out as the blonde dropped the picture in the fireplace as fast as if it had burned her.

"At the coffee shop," she whispered while giving him a panicked look. "He's always there, sometimes he greets me good morning but nothing more, I never thought too much of it."

"Son of a bitch!" Stefan muttered and stood up once again followed by Damon. "He's been under our noses the entire time."

"We can't let this one slip Damon," Liz interjected as she shot a hard glare in the direction of one of her best friends.

"Of course we won't!" he said while placing a hand on the shoulder of his very distressed brother. "Go to my office, we have business to attend to. Enzo get Alaric to come here!" his voice was clipped as he spoke. "Not you girls," he said referring to Elena and Caroline.

"You can't shut me out of this Damon!" Caroline exploded and Elena was about to shot off and support her friend when Damon raised a hand in the air and silenced whatever the girls were about to say

"I will not keep either of you in the dark," his blue eyes looked meaningfully at Elena, "You'll be informed of everything afterwards but this is something we really need to discuss alone."

Caroline protested for a few seconds but Elena convinced her to let this one go and to have some ice cream and watch a movie with Bonnie and Jenna. As they left to go upstairs the doe-eyed brunette shot a look at her husband letting him know he wasn't going to walk away from this one.

He smirked and nodded at her as he watched her walk away from the living room. Once they were gone the rest of them moved to Damon's office where they waited for Alaric to arrive, both Stefan and Liz were impatient and could barely contain their anger towards Klaus and what his approach towards Caroline could represent.

"What are you going to do about this Damon?" Liz asked, her inflexible glare directed at Damon. "Because if you don't I sure as hell will."

He was about to answer when Alaric interrupted him as he walked inside the office. "No need for us to act like this. He wants to pit us against each other and we won't let him," Liz seemed to relax at the blonde man's words but the angry energy still rolled off her body in waves.

"We need to keep an eye on everyone everywhere," Damon told him sternly. "And we'll not let this threat go unnoticed," he looked at Liz straight in the eyes, "We've been keeping an eye on Klaus's sister and it is time to send a message." He sent a quick glance towards Enzo who nodded at the unspoken request.

Stefan reached his hand to grip Liz's arm, "I won't let her out of my sight." There was no hesitation in his voice as he spoke.

Liz nodded and gave him a small smile, "I won't either," her eyes moved back to Damon. "We have to lure him out."

Alaric nodded, "That's why we go after his sister."

Afterwards, they spent a couple of minutes reassuring Liz that Klaus wasn't going come near Caroline again and that by using Rebekah they would finally make him reveal himself. She left the Salvatore mansion agreeing to let Caroline spend the night.

The five remaining man stayed in the room drinking and exchanging thoughts on the dilemma they had at hand. The people in that room were the ones Damon trusted blindly, and if someone was going to help him solve the mess they had found themselves in, it was going to be them.

"Klaus is proving to be much more trouble than we thought he was going to be," Alaric said in a contemplative tone as he swirled his bourbon filled tumbler.

Damon leaned back on his big leather black chair as he rubbed his fingers across his temples, "There's something we're not seeing." The exasperation in his voice was evident, "What did you get on Elijah?" he directed the question at Enzo. There was something about that man that Damon didn't trust and it wasn't just that he had feelings for his wife, something in him wasn't right and he just couldn't figure out what it was.

Enzo nodded, "He's clean, I've checked all the data twice, there's nothing shady about him."

"He's an ass but that's it, I've seen the evidence and it doesn't appear to be anything wrong with him," Stefan said seconding Enzo's information.

Alaric could see the tension on Damon's face and decided they needed to cool down, "Let's just wait to see how this thing with Rebekah unfolds."

"Yeah!"

A thought kept churning in his head, Katherine had wanted to say something to him the night Jeremy had died but Elena had interrupted them. She had been scared, he was sure of it.

"Damn it! Katherine," he muttered.

He had a feeling that she was hiding something and he wanted to know what it was.

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 ** _Solo con te riesco ad essere felice Elena – only with you can I be happy Elena_**


	19. Porcelain to ivory to steel

**Wow 700 reviews?! Never in my wildest dreams I imagine this story being such a success, I have all of you to thank for that. You're awesome, thank you so much for your constant support.**

 **Sorry for the delay guys but better late than never so here you go, I actually enjoyed writing this chapter a lot so I hope you enjoy it as well.**

 **And as always thanks so much to Amber for being awesome and correcting my mistakes and for her contributes to this story, love you girl!**

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"Prince Rhaegar loved his lady Lyanna and thousands died for of it"

 **-George R.R. Martin-**

 **.**

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A week had passed since the arrival of Klaus's letter and during the interim the Russian mobster had been suspiciously quiet. Caroline no longer went to her favourite coffee shop in Brooklyn but they knew that even if she were to go there, the mob boss wouldn't be waiting for her, he wasn't that stupid. Elena could see how restless Damon was becoming, he feared his people were going to believe him unfit to rule, if he didn't manage to catch Klaus. Although she had heard Stefan saying that whatever uprising might have been hatching, had come to a complete stop after the action Damon had taken the night she had found him bloodied and bruised.

It surprised Elena that the Russian man hadn't made an appearance even after his sister had ended up in the hospital. Damon had told her about Rebekah Mikaelson; a girl who refused to share the lifestyle of her family and had distanced herself from them. Unfortunately, that didn't help her because she was still trapped between their crossfire and had suffered as collateral damage. Damon and his people had put her in the hospital trying to send a message to Klaus; the man had yet to respond. When Damon had told her about what they had done, she had been horrified but not nearly as much as she thought she would be, Klaus was responsible for her brother's death and he had to pay, it didn't matter who had to suffer because of it.

Elena was lost in her thoughts, as one of Liz Forbes's men drove her back to the Salvatore mansion, with two more cars trailing behind them, as at the moment nothing could be too safe. The girls had been busy, going through some of the designs for Caroline's bridesmaids and they had even gone to see some wedding dresses, although the bride had yet find 'the' perfect gown that spoke to her heart.

During the moments Elena spent with her friend busy planning her wedding, she could almost make herself forget the ev ents that had turned their lives upside down, she could pretend to be carefree and forget that a high rate criminal was out to destroy them and that her brother had been brutally put to the ground only a few months ago. These moments served like a reprieve from the constant nightmare that was like a shroud upon their lives. Sipping champagne and laughing next to Liz, while Caroline modeled wedding gowns, Elena felt as lighthearted as any twenty-one-year-old could feel. She wished Bonnie had agreed to come with them, but the other girl was still not ready to go out in the world. Elena's heart ached every time she saw her wandering the halls like a ghost. It wasn't that Elena didn't mourn her brother because she did, there were days when the pain was so intense that she felt like she was choking but those days seemed to be few and far between now. She grieved but she didn't let the pain sink her into despondency, unlike Bonnie who had given herself up to it completely.

Elena walked inside the house and was surprised to find it so quiet, little Maytana was going to school now so she wasn't around as often as before and she guessed Damon and his men were in the basement working out. She went upstairs to freshen up and was on her way to see Damon when something caught her attention, the door to Bonnie's room was ajar and she could hear the faint sounds of music coming from it.

"I don't think I'll ever be good at this!"

"Relax love; you've been on this a few days only. You'll get better with time," Elena's eyes widened when she heard Enzo's voice and even though every bone in her body was telling her not to, she couldn't help stepping closer and peaking inside the room.

Bonnie was currently slumped on her bed with a guitar carelessly tossed to the side and Enzo was sitting at the edge of the bed.

"No, I don't think I can do it," Bonnie said in a voice that sounded so defeated, it made Elena's heart sink in her chest.

They remained silent for a few seconds, until Enzo reached out and picked up the guitar Bonnie had thrown aside. "Here, let me show you," the English man took the instrument in his hand and started playing the chords softly, while he tried to show Bonnie what she was supposed to do.

Elena recognized the tune being 'As the world spins madly on' by the Weepies; Bonnie was totally focused on watching Enzo's fingers on the strings while he was staring intently at her. Elena knew that he had feelings for Bonnie, anyone with a pair of eyes could see that and although it didn't upset Elena it did make her nervous, only because she didn't know Enzo well enough to trust him and she didn't want her friend to get hurt again.

"Let me try!" Bonnie said and he handed the guitar over to her. She started playing again and then missed one of the notes and cursed, "Fuck, I'll never be able to!" her eyes welled up with tears

"Hey, hey its all right," Enzo's eyes were soft and he raised his hand as if to reach out and touch her but in the end decided against it, "It'll get better eventually!"

Bonnie looked down with evident distress, "No it won't!"

Enzo smiled kindly at her, "Trust me it will."

After staring at her quietly for a few second, Enzo decided to pick up the guitar again and started playing another melody. Bonnie stared at him silently before asking him something she had been dying to ask him, "Don't you hate this life?"

He didn't even hesitate for a minute, "The one I had before was worse," he replied, his fingers still focused on the instrument in his hands.

Bonnie looked at him as if he had lost his mind, before shaking her head and moving to rest her back on the headboard, "I don't believe it. Here there's danger on every corner…I hate that I was born in the middle of it."

Enzo's fingers stopped moving and he raised his head to stare at her, "I am an orphan you know. Was born in Manchester and was raised in different orphanages, the next one is always worse than the one before. When I was ten I ran away with some other kids."

"I'm sorry!" the young girl said as she winced slightly.

"We lived on the streets, stealing, doing anything to survive," Enzo's eyes had a faraway look and Elena felt bad for spying on their private moment but she couldn't find the strength to leave. "We had thought that life in the orphanages was hard…we had no idea. Cold nights with no blanket to cover you, dirty clothes, not showering for days and the violence… the violence on the streets…"

"How did you get to meet Mr. Salvatore?"

"I stole from him," Enzo said with a wince, "I know…stupid move, right? It was only a watch but he beat the crap out of me. I was twelve at the time. He told me there was potential in me but that I should never steal from a man like him… I think he was going to kill me but Damon interjected, he was fifteen around that time," a smile appeared on his lips at the mention of his friend.

"And?"

"Giuseppe took me in. Taught me everything and even gave me a family. An elder woman in La Famiglia grew fond of me and she and her husband adopted me. Giuseppe gave me everything and I became his soldier, and with time Damon's must trusted soldier as well."

Bonnie seemed to absorb his words for a few seconds before responding, "And you like it here?"

His smile was warm as he looked at her, "They gave me a home Bonnie, something I never had before. Damon is my best friend, he and Stefan are my family too and I would gladly die for them."

"They sure know how to inspire loyalty."

He chuckled, "They do and mine lies with them. So no, I don't regret this life."

Bonnie leaned down with a smile and took the guitar from his hands again ending their conversation. She started to play as he watched her starry-eyed; Elena felt like she had intruded enough on their intimate moment, so she finally pulled away from the door and headed back to the hallway.

The Salvatore mansion had a complete underground floor, which they called the basement, but Elena thought it resembled a bunker more than anything. On one side of the floor was the clinic-like place were Damon had recuperated from his injuries and on the other side was the training room, where her husband and his men worked out almost on daily basis.

As she walked down the stairs her mind went back to Enzo and his life story. Although with time he had grown on her and she now considered him a friend of sorts, when she had first met him she had thought him to be a cold hearted man who only enjoyed violence. She thought of how easy it was to prejudge people according to your own belief system and moral dispositions without trying find out what had led them to become what they had and what really lay in their hearts.

Once downstairs, Elena followed the direction of the noise which led her to the room where the guys were training. When she reached the glass windows that separated her from them she felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs at the alluring sight of her shirtless husband who was clad in a pair of dark pants hanging dangerously low on his hips. He was boxing with Stefan, his naked chest glistened with sweat and a lock of hair fell over his forehead, her reaction was so intense and so visceral, she felt her gut tighten and her panties moisten with an immediate rush of potent arousal.

She was never one to get turned out by violent men, well never before she had met him that is, but as she watched her husband in a boxing match with his brother, her entire body started to burn with need, her core clenched and throbbed with a pulsating heat that made her tighten and release her inner muscles in order to ease some of the growing tension between her legs. She saw his muscles contracting as he lunged for Stefan, the crowd gathered below the ring cheering them as they went against each other and at that moment all she wanted to do was run her hands along the muscles in his smooth back longing to feel their power as he thrust his cock inside her.

Elena felt herself getting even wetter as she watched Damon moving around with the agility of a panther and the fierceness of a wolf. She absently rubbed her legs together trying to ease the ache that was threatening to make her attack his body in front of everybody. It was insane how Damon could take her from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds; she never felt more alive than when she was in his presence.

As if he sensed her watching him, he turned his head to the window to look at her, there was a cut across his brow and a taint of blood on his lips which only made him look more appealing to her. He looked rugged and dangerous and his lips curled in a smirk as he winked at her before charging back at his brother Elena knew that she needed to relieve the tension inside her or she would go crazy with frustration.

She let out a shaky breath and rushed back in the direction of her bedroom. Her skin was on fire and her entire core tingled with burgeoning desire. She never knew it could be like this; never knew that merely a look from him could turn her crazy with lust, that one glance at his direction would make her entire body come alive with need.

Elena reached her room and almost in a daze went to her dresser where she had hidden the vibrator, she had bought on a dare by Caroline. She had never used it before but now she thought it could come in handy.

Feeling decidedly naughty, Elena slid her panties down sensuously feeling her smooth skin and lay down in the bed with her dress bunched up around her waist; she checked the batteries in the device and turned it on as her mind wandered back to images of Damon in the training room.

She threw her head back as she pinched her nipples with one hand and let the other guide the vibrator to the bundle of nerves that was by now throbbing wildly. Every nerve ending in her body was tingling with arousal as she imagined Damon running his hands through her body, his fingers pumping in and out, as his teeth nipped her sensitive bud and his expert tongue took her to unimaginable heights of pleasure, she moaned and whimpered as she thrashed around desperate to reach the release that was alluding her. She moved the vibrator up and down her clit all the while her other hand imitated Damon playing with her nipples.

Elena was so caught up in her own wanton world filled with hedonistic pleasures of the flesh, that she didn't hear the bedroom door opening or the quiet footsteps approaching the bed. She was only aware of someone's presence when he leaned down over her and took the vibrator in his own hands.

"What the…" her words died down in her throat as she opened her lust filled eyes to find the sweaty figure of her husband hovering over her.

"Someone's being a bad girl," he said with a smirk, his eyes darkened to black with desire, before leaning down and kissing her hungrily. Elena moaned into his mouth as she released her hand from the vibrator, letting him be the one to control it. "What were you thinking about my love? Were you imagining me rubbing my hard cock along your pussy?" he asked against her mouth as he put a knee on each side of her, trapping her under his body as his hand moved the object between her legs in small circles, playing with its intensity driving her crazier. "Answer my question Elena!"

"You!" she breathed out as her belly clenched even tighter at his crude words, she felt chills run up and down her spine as she imagined his cock in her mouth, in her hands, slamming inside her repeatedly, "I always think about you."

"Good answer!" she could feel him smirking against the skin of her neck, his breath hot against her, his teeth biting her and his tongue laving the spot he bit. She could feel his throbbing erection against her and she mindlessly start to grind herself against him and he let out an animalistic growl. Her hands took a mind of her own and she got rid of his shirt, her fingers roamed the expanse of damp skin as she undid the drawstrings of his pants to slide them down. Her mind reminded her how his muscles had flexed as he fought his brother, and she squeezed his ass. "Do you like this?" he said hoarsely, looking as turned as she was feeling, as he inched the tip of the vibrator inside her, "Do you like feeling it, does it remind you of my cock as I slowly thrust in and then pull out?"

"Yes," she whimpered, the sensation of the vibrator inside her and Damon's throbbing erection against her thighs.

He raised his head and his blue eyes stared so deeply at her that she swore she was drowning in them, "Enjoy it then my dear, because this is the closest to fucking any another cock you're going to get," with that he plunged the device almost all the way up and flicked his finger against her clit sending her into an explosion of pleasure so intense she thought she would never recover. She almost passed out, her vision blinding as uncontrollable tremors wrecked her entire body

"Oh Dam….Damon…oh.. God!" she cried out as he lunged for her breast and started sucking them through the fabric of her dress, her hands went to his hair to hold him to her. The aftershocks of her climax still running through her.

He released her breasts and smirked with satisfaction as he saw her flushed face and perky nipples, "Who would have thought you'd be such a naughty girl?" He sat back on his haunches and tossed the vibrator to the side, the sight of his impressive erection arousing her all over again. His gaze roamed hungrily over her body and Elena felt the tell tale sign of another impending orgasm coming on. "You like it don't you? You like it when I am in control?"

Elena could feel herself blushing and wanted to refute him, wanted to tell him he didn't control her and that no one ever would but she knew deep down that it was a lie. Because at least in this aspect, she loved giving him all the control, loved knowing she was at his mercy and he could do whatever he wanted with her because she knew that he would rock her world.

"What do you want Elena?" his hand started roaming the expanse of her legs inching closer and closer to where she wanted them to be.

"Tell me," he demanded hoarsely.

"You!" her mouth went dry as she breathed out. "I want you, I want your mouth on me everywhere, I want your hands, I want you!"

He smirked at her and leaned towards the bed to retrieve a condom before he got rid of his pants. "On your hands and knees baby," he ordered and she complied willingly, her heart racing when she felt him behind her.

"You have no idea how much I need you, Elena," he ran his hand towards her back, making her dress ride even higher before he got rid of it completely. "I am in a constant state of arousal because of you."

She moaned as he kneaded the flesh of her buttocks and when he slapped her slightly, the pain and pleasure centers of her brain combined to send such a wave of unparalleled pleasure that she screamed loudly. When he took his member in his hand to guide the tip into the tighter opening in her back, she couldn't help but hiss and tense in response. He chuckled, "Relax baby, I won't be taking that route today. But maybe someday I will, as I want to feel myself in every inch of your body, I want you to feel me everywhere, I want you to be mine and only mine, I want to own you completely," with that he surged forward into her pussy and filled her completely.

Elena moaned as she threw her head back, his hand tangled in her hair as he pulled it and pounded into her wildly. He began entering and withdrawing her with erotic precision, his one hand squeezed her ass and the other tugged her hair as he pulled her forward to impale her over and over. The slapping sound of their skin meeting each other, the symphony of their pleasure filled moans and groans, the smell of their intimacy, pervaded the entire bedroom as they lost themselves in carnal delight. She braced her hands against the headboard as he dove into her over and over.

"Fuck Damon!"

"You were made for me bambolina," he said in a voice muffled with desire muffled, "Only for me." He hovered over her so his chest was pressed into her back and his hand released her hair to reach for her full and aching breasts and started to flick at her nipples, "Tell me you're mine Elena"

"You know I am," she panted as his hips flexed brutally behind her and his teeth nipped the skin leaving wet kisses all over her neck.

"Tell me"

"I am yours Damon-oh fuck please don't stop!" she shouted as she felt him him growing thicker inside and as he hit that spongy spot inside her, she cried out loud as stars appeared in her line of vision and she almost blacked out again.

He gripped her tightly as he thrust a couple of more times, her clenching muscles as she came, toppled him over the edge, his whole body stiffened and he released himself inside her. They let out a primal shout as they both came together in one of the most intense orgasms of their lives. Sweaty bodies tangled around each other as they both collapsed onto the bed panting frantically as they tried gain control of their breaths.

"You are going to be the death of me," he huffed breathlessly as he drew her into his arms and snuggled his face into her soft hair.

"I am going to be the death of you?" she said in fake indignation, but with a smile on her face as she enjoyed the feel of his body against hers.

"I would not be so consumed with thoughts of you if you weren't so damn alluring," he nipped her shoulder playfully and she giggled in response. Her heart was bursting with happiness at the thought that she hounded his mind as much as he plagued hers.

"I think you're the alluring one!"

"Let's just agree to disagree," he told her as he kissed her cheek and she couldn't help but relax completely in his embrace. There was no place she'd rather be right now then on this bed with him, the skin of his chest against her back as his hands traced absent circles on her stomach. It was the epitome of perfection for her.

They remained in silence for a few minutes and Elena felt a delicious exhaustion start to invade her body, her mind getting foggy with each rhythmic stroke of his hand on her body. She yawned and heard him chuckling behind her, "Go to sleep darling."

"Uhmm!" dreamland was already starting to claim her for its own. "I love you Damon!" she said softly before succumbing completely to it's embrace.

Damon remained in silence watching the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept, he kept mulling her words in his head. He swore his heart stopped beating every time she whispered, 'I love you' to him and a part of him wanted nothing more than to say them back, but there was another part that did nothing but wonder how it was possible for her to feel that way about him and how long before she would realize that he was a psychopath with no redeeming qualities and then she would leave him.

With a resigned sigh, he did his best to extricate himself from her body as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her and headed towards the bathroom for a shower. Afterwards he stepped outside in a pair of pajama pants and nothing else, he glanced towards the bed where his wife was still soundlessly asleep. He felt his heart constricting at the sight of her, so innocent and pure, a girl who loved him in spite of the monster he was.

He walked towards the bed and covered her with the comforter, knowing how cold she felt most of the times, before placing a kiss on her forehead and walking out of the bedroom. He headed to the living room and poured himself a generous glass of bourbon before sitting down in front of the fire place lost in his thoughts.

What was love? He wondered briefly. He wasn't even sure if he knew what the emotion felt like. He had felt 'love' for Stefan and Addy only and for his mother to some degree but that was different. They were his blood; he had to love them, didn't he?

Elena was a whole different ballgame; she was his wife and by the rules of society he was supposed to love her, yet his father hadn't loved his mother nor had his mother loved him. But Elena loved him, she told him that repeatedly and he could see the evidence in her eyes whenever she looked at him tenderly.

But the burning question that troubled him was whether he loved her back?

In his weak moments, during the heat of passion and the darkness of the night he had allowed himself to whisper those words to her, but was he capable of such a thing? Did he even know what being in love meant? Or was he confusing lust with love? Was he holding onto the fantasy that somehow he could be something more than the monster he was supposed to be?

"I can hear the wheels churning against each other all the way from here," Stefan said with a hint of mockery in his voice as he walked inside the room and headed towards where his brother was sitting.

"Bite me, Stefan!" Damon muttered before bringing the tumbler to his lips.

The youngest Salvatore chuckled as he sat next to his brother, "Penny for your thoughts."

"I don't need more pennies."

"Show off!"

They gazed quietly at the fireplace for a few seconds, both of them with a glass in their hands as the the fire blazed in front of them, the cracking sounds of the logs seemed even louder in the quietness of the night.

"Do you ever wish for life to be different?" Stefan asked out of the blue as Damon looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "What? I'm feeling philosophical today."

"No Stef," Damon lied. "My life is exactly like I want it to be."

Stefan let out a soft laugh while shaking his head, "You do realize that I've known you my whole life?" Damon shrugged as if to say it didn't make a difference. "I never thanked you right?"

Damon looked startled for a second as his eyes found his brother's, "Thanked me?"

Stefan gave him a sympathetic smile before moving his eyes back to the crackling fire in front of them, "I know that dad only went easy on me because of you."

Damon felt an ache start in his chest at his words and he quickly polished off his drinks in hopes that it would numb the twinge, "Stefan…"

"You always protected me Damon, you still do. I always felt that you were more like a father to me than our real dad."

The Salvatore brothers were not used to showing emotion but every once in a while they would let their guard down and open to each other, just like Stefan was doing at the moment, "And you know why you did that?"

"Because it was my duty," Damon said without hesitation.

Stefan shook his head in direction of his brother, "Because you love me."

"You're my family!"

"That doesn't mean anything. Enzo is not our blood, Rick either," Damon let the words sink in for a moment. In some way his brother was right, those men were not related by blood to them and yet he cared about them just as much.

A frown appeared on his face as he got up and went to the cart to pour more bourbon in his tumbler, "And your point being?"

Stefan snorted as he watched his brother walk back to the couch, "You got to get your head out of your ass and tell the poor girl you love her."

Damon stopped in his tracks and glanced at his brother, "What?"

"Even a blind man can see it," Stefan said with a roll of his eyes.

The elder Salvatore's jaw clenched as she sat back down and sipped his liquor slowly, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Stefan sighed and leaned back on to the couch, one leg crossed on top of his knee as he looked kindly at his brother, "When you first told me about your plan I thought you were insane. I mean you had spent your whole life running away from marriage, why would you want it? You had dozens of women throwing themselves at you."

"I had too, you know the Cosa nostra would have thought less of me."

"I do but it didn't have to be her. Katherine came here herself asking to be your 'queen'," Stefan rolled his eyes at the words the brunette woman had used. "But the moment you saw Elena, you knew you wanted her, I couldn't see it then but I do now."

Damon's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline, "You do?"

"There's a light in her, she's good and kind. Refreshing and somehow the darkness that lurks inside of you gets drawn to her."

"You are feeling poetic as well as philosophical it seems," Damon muttered. "When I first told dad about the deal I wanted to strike with Grayson he applauded me you know? Said I was acting like a Salvatore and going after what I wanted."

And in some ways that had made Damon soar, he had spent his whole life dong things to please his father, trying to be the perfect son in his eyes and yet despite winning the admiration of every member of La famiglia, Giuseppe still seemed to be the hardest to please.

"Dad was a dick!" Stefan said under his breath and it surprised Damon to hear the bitterness in his brother's tone.

"Yea he was, but so am I," he said harshly. All anyone had to do was take a look at the way he had treated Elena when he had first brought her to his home, to realize he was nothing but his father's child. "And I did what I wanted without caring about her and you know what the funny things is? Before it wouldn't have mattered! It didn't for a few weeks but then she… she snuck up on me and God…I…!" Damon downed the rest of his glass and leaned towards the couch, his eyes almost frantic as they gazed at the fire, "I get so angry with her sometimes you know? Because I shouldn't be caring and somehow she manages to make me!"

Stefan gave him a kind smile, "Love does that Damon, it changes people."

"Not me. It can't!"

Because then he wouldn't be strong enough to keep them all safe.

"Don't let his ghost still reign over you brother," Stefan told him softly. "You're the only one still giving him power." Damon remained silent, his brother's words affecting him more than they should. "I think I might become a psychologist," the younger brother said with a chuckle and Damon couldn't help but laugh as he mentally thanked him for lightening the mood again.

Damon had always thought himself to be a man without feelings but he was afraid that Elena Gilbert was changing that about him.


	20. Feels so good it must be love

**Hey there!**

 **Three things:**

 **First of all Ele if you're reading this I really hope you're okay, I've noticed you've been missing from twitter lately so I just hope everything's all right with you.**

 **Secondly, guys today is the premier of Game of thrones and I'm so excited! If you love it as much as I do let's pretend we're squealing together.**

 **And thirdly I'm sorry but we're going to be slowing down on the updates for a while so if you don't see a new chapter next week don't fret, they will continue to come just a little bit slowly.**

 **So here we go, over five thousand words of pure Delena cuteness, hope you love it as much as I did!**

* * *

"These two in a fight they're lethal. Around each other they melt"

-Richelle Mead-

.

.

After his talk with Stefan, Damon was doing his best to figure out and truly understand his feelings towards his wife and what it meant for him to love her completely. He knew that Elena deserved someone who could love her selflessly, with every bit of themselves, and the one thing he knew for sure with every fiber of his being, was that he didn't want anyone other than him to be that person.

The problem was that in the midst of a brutal war between two families, Damon did not have the luxury of time to process all the new feelings and emotions that were burgeoning and the changes that were happening in his psyche. Between training sessions, gatherings and secret meetings with his closest circles in the middle of the night, Damon had barely seen his wife over the last few days, which was why he had decided to let Stefan take over the reigns for a day and escape with Elena to Liberty Island.

He had heard Elena complaining once that despite going twice, she had yet to visit the crown area because Caroline refused to wait for over two hours in long lines under the hot sun, so he had pulled some strings and got himself easy access. He didn't enjoy touristic excursions as a rule but the way her eyes had lit up when he had told her where they were going was enough to make him feel like a king.

A wide grin had been gracing her lips ever since they had left the house, and after they came down from the crown and were eating ice cream whilst they walked the grounds of Liberty Island, she had stood up on her tip toes and whispered in his ear, "I almost feel like we're a normal couple, thank you for this," and then she leaned in to place the sweetest of kisses on his cheeks.

In that moment, Damon felt his heart growing three sizes as if somehow he was the Grinch and her light and easiness had made him forget who he truly was, it was amazing what this girl could evoke in him. Of course he only needed to look back at the bodyguards following them or feel the gun tucked behind him to realize that he wasn't a normal person, but for a little while, holding her hands and hearing her giggle every few seconds, he could let himself pretend.

"I spoke to my dad yesterday," she told him as they drove in his black Mercedes for lunch at the pizzeria owned by Enzo's family; since that had turned out to be one her most favorite things to do in the city.

He cast a sideways glance in her direction and tried hard not to laugh as he watched her in the tight 'I love New York' t-shirt she had made him buy her. "What did he say?"

"I think he's getting better and so is mom," her voice lost the spark as she spoke about her family and Damon knew that her mind was taking her back to those painful moments when she had realized her brother was really gone. "She wants to visit in a few days," her face brightened up slightly.

Damon nodded, he hadn't told her that he had been talking with her father as well, because there were still some things he wanted to keep hidden from her, not because he didn't trust her but because he wanted to keep her safe.

"I think it will be good for her and for you too," he reached across the gear shift and held her hand in his, he didn't miss the smile that appeared on her face at his actions, and he once again found himself wondering how was it possible that someone as pure and kind as Elena could feel so strongly about a man like him.

Was she experiencing some kind of Stockholm syndrome?

"What do you feel like getting today?" he asked as they sat down in a little booth in the corner of the pizzeria, the staff as always greeted him excitedly and they even recognized Elena now since they were there very often.

"Let's see…" she scanned the menu as Damon ordered a glass of wine for them and asked for some entrees. "Maybe we can have a Sicilian pepperoni or a Margarita or maybe both," she smiled cheekily at him.

"Both it is then," he handed the menus back to the waiter and asked for their pizzas. "I do appreciate a woman who can eat."

"You won't appreciate it when I'm the size of a house."

"Nonsense!"

"Honestly it's all your fault," she told him as she sipped her wine, "I hadn't really known much about Italian food before I married you." Elena's grandfather was an Italian man born in Napoli who had fallen madly in love with an American woman and while Grayson had spent most of his life living in Napoli, Elena had never been to Italy and even though her siblings were always trying to learn more about their heritage she had never really paid attention, until she married Damon.

"Well of course," he said with a chuckle. "I had to find a way to let you sink into your roots darling, I want my children to be completely soaked in their culture."

Her glass of wine stopped midair when the words left his mouth; she tried to steady her racing heart as he watched her with a twinkle in his baby blues "How many children do you want?" she whispered before sipping on her wine.

"Honestly?" she nodded at him. "Four or five."

"What?!" she shrieked almost spitting out her wine on him, "You can't be serious."

Damon laughed slightly when he saw the horrified expression on her face, "You ask me to be honest. I'm Italian, I'm used to big families," even though he didn't dwell on it much, he realized that it was the honest truth. Before Elena he had thought about children maybe once or twice only, and that also because he knew there was supposed to be another Salvatore to continue with the empire, but now things had changed.

"Well no mister!" she said shaking her hand, "I'm not carrying five children in this petite body," she gestured to herself and Damon couldn't help but chuckle at her openness and light hearted comments. "And I forbid you from having children with anyone else."

His eyes darkened slightly, "Why would I have children with someone else?"

She cast her eyes down and began to fidget with the edge of the table cloth, "Well in this world most man keep mistresses, Damon, I'm not stupid. I know even my dad had a few slips over the years."

Damon was shocked to learn this because he had been sure Grayson Gilbert was completely devoted to his wife, but then again what meets the eye is not always the case. "But I wouldn't want that to be our marriage," she told him and he felt a surge of warmth spread in his cold cold heart because of this girl.

"That is not the kind of man I am Elena. I am loyal to the bone," her brown doe-eyes softened as she looked at him and he leaned across the table to place a stray curl behind her ear, "And why would I want another when my wife is the one who drives me crazy?"

Her lips parted in surprise and desire, as he traced her lower lips with his thumb and she closed her eyes at the feel of the instant arousal shooting through her body. "Don't ever doubt me Elena, I will always be faithful to you," he retreated back into his seat leaving her shaking and wanting more.

The waiter arrived with their food and next minutes were ones of playful banter and delicious bites. "I will settle with two," he told her once they were over with one of the pizzas.

"Two pizzas?" she asked quizzically and he burst out laughing.

"No silly, two children."

"Really?"

He nodded in response, "When this is over and Klaus is dead, because trust me he will be," his eyes went dark at the mention of his nemesis. "I would like for us to try!"

Elena felt her heart lodge in her throat at the thought of Damon wanting a child with her. This was the logical course of action, since they were husband and wife, but somehow the idea of carrying a part of him inside her, made her body feel all kinds of things, excitement coursed through her veins at the prospect. She was about to turn twenty-two in a few months, too young to be a mother and yet there was nothing she wanted more in the world than to give him a child.

"Okay" she told him.

"Okay?" he asked with a raised brow, he had expected for her to tell him it was too soon or she was too young, "Seriously?"

"Yeah!" she nodded as a wide grin appeared on her face and once again he felt completely taken aback by his feelings towards this woman. How was it possible that a devil like himself could be worthy of an angel's love?

What did he do to deserve such love and kindness? He had been nothing but a completely asshole to her. "I can only hope to be a good father!" He hadn't expected these words to come out of his mouth but she made him so vulnerable in some ways that he couldn't help it.

"I know you will be Damon," she said reaching across the table and taking his hand in hers.

"I wouldn't be so sure," he turned his eyes away, not wanting to meet her stare. Now that he had her in his life he longed for a family but deep down inside he wasn't sure he wouldn't turn out to be just like his father.

"You won't" he raised his eyes to hers and wondered if perhaps he had spoken his thoughts out loud.

"I know what you're thinking and you're not your father Damon!" she said softly as she squeezed his hand. The precious moments where Damon let himself appear so vulnerable were very rare, and she found herself being grateful to be the one whom he was opening up to, even if it was only for a few seconds.

"Maybe not yet!"

She shook her head, "You won't be. I'm going to be here to help you." She gave him a reassuring smile and he felt an urge to cry like he had never felt before but he stopped himself. Damon Salvatore hadn't cried in twenty years and wasn't going to start now so he only nodded and let himself be dragged into the calmness and peace he could only find in her eyes.

Once they were over with their food, he took her shopping, Elena claimed nothing was going to fit her because of the pizzas they'd just devoured but humored him anyway and let him buy her a couple of things, mostly lingerie. It didn't matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to erase the grin from her face, and right now she felt like she and Damon were just like any other normal couple and it had been the perfect day so far.

When they arrived back at the mansion he went in to put on his trunks while she sat at the edge of the pool, scrolling through her social media, sipping a glass of strawberry lemonade from the pitcher Mrs. Flowers had made for them.

Elena felt relaxed and happy for the first time in a long while, she had barely thought about Jeremy and her family today, she was feeling like a carefree and in love girl would for the first time and she wanted to prolong that feeling for as long as she could. She kicked her feet in the water as she smiled at the texts Caroline had been sending her with pictures of things she wanted to do on her honeymoon.

"What has you in such a good mood?" the sound of his voice snapped her out of her reverie and she turned to look at him, the sight of his naked torso glinting in the light of the setting sun, rendered her breathless. His eyes looked at her with so much heat that she felt her toes curling inwards and her whole body tensing up with arousal.

"You!" she grinned widely at him and watched wonderingly as he smiled in response. She loved moments like this, where Damon forgot he was the _capi di tutti capi_ and let himself just be a young man spending time with his wife.

"Cheeky girl!" he said before sinking completely into the water and swimming towards her. The muscles in his back rippled with each stroke of his arms against the water; he was agile and smooth with his movements and when he rose at her feet, hair damp and droplets of water clinging to his chest Elena felt the pull between her legs stronger than ever.

"Damn you're hot!" she muttered unable to contain herself, her phone long forgotten at her side while she ogled the fine specimen that was her husband.

He quirked an eye brow in her direction "I'm hot? _Tu sei bellisima amore mio"_ The words rolled off his tongue as he took one of her feet and started massaging it.

"Would you teach me?" she asked breathlessly as she watched his fingers working on the skin of her feet.

His lips tipped up in a smile, "To be hot? I don't think you need help in that department."

"Funny!" she stuck her tongue out at him and moved her feet a bit so water splashed on his face. He laughed and raised his glinting eyes towards her. "Italian. I never really learned, only the basics. Mom tried but I could never sit still during the lessons."

"I don't know why I don't find that hard to imagine," he said with a chuckle. "Of course I'll teach you whenever you like," he placed one kiss on her ankle and dropped her feet so he could go back to do laps around the pool.

Elena let her body drop back over her elbows as she basked in the last rays of the sun. A smile appeared on her lips as she recollected the amazing day she and Damon had shared together and she was grateful to him for giving her such a precious gift amidst all the blood and tragedy they had been surrounded by lately.

Her mind went back to Bonnie and how she seemed to be recovering from Jeremy's loss slowly as well. She wondered if maybe Enzo was being helpful in that department.

"Have you realized something is starting between Bonnie and Enzo?" Elena asked Damon when he rose below her once again.

"I try to keep myself away of any personal affairs that aren't mine dolcezza."

"It's just I think there's something going on between them," she said as she looked at her feet lapping softly in the water.

"Does it bother you?" he asked quietly and she raised her eyes to find him staring at her with concern.

She shook her head, "No, I thought it would but it doesn't. I want Bonnie to heal and to be happy… it's just…"

A knowing look appeared on his face, "You don't trust Enzo!"

Elena let out a defeated sigh. How could she explain to him that she was afraid of how intense Enzo seemed to be? Almost as intense as her own husband and she had no idea if Bonnie was ready for something like that, "I trust him with my life but in other matters…"

Damon took hold of her feet again and pressed them against his chest, "Don't be judgy, tesoro. There's so much more than what meets the eye." He made sure to look at her when he said those words and Elena could see traces of vulnerability in his eyes, something he only ever allowed her to see.

"I guess" she said with a small smile as she watched his hand caressing the skin of her legs.

"If it truly bothers you I can speak with him."

Her eyes widened in horror, "Oh my God no, please," she shook her head, dismissing her earlier comments. "I'm just being silly don't mention anything."

Damon nodded and pressed another kiss to her ankle, his hands trailing upwards until he reached the hem of her skirt.

"Damon…" she breathed out huskily. All senses on high alert, as desire started to take command of her senses.

"Yeah?" he asked seductively as he parted her legs and placed them both on his shoulders.

"Aren't you worried about Klaus and the whole thing with Caroline?" she tried to inquire but he kept distracting her.

He chuckled and bit the creamy flesh of her thighs playfully, "Nope!"

"Seriously?" she said trying to hold a serious conversation with him as his hand and mouth touched her in all the places he knew drove her mad.

He shook his head as his lips continued to trail up her thighs, "Nope I won't discuss any of that today."

"But Damon…" she half whined, half moaned as his head disappeared below her skirt and he placed a kiss just right next to where she needed him the most. She felt heat lap up her entire core as a delicious sensation made her rock back and forth as she pushed up towards his face.

She felt him huffing against her skin, only to watch his face reappear seconds later, "This is our time out tesoro, today is just about you and me so stop fishing for information." His eyes looked pleadingly at her and since he never looked at her that way, Elena decided to comply and stop asking questions.

"Okay" she nodded and almost sighed in disappointment as he moved away from her and started swimming on his back leaving her wanting his touch all over her body.

"Good!" he said as he lapped back, his torso on complete display for her hungry eyes. "Talk to me about your business instead."

"Phew I don't think you can call it a business," Elena answered as her hands played with her cleavage absently.

"Don't underestimate yourself tesoro mio!"

He started swimming back towards her, with his head out so he could hear what she was saying, "The web page is going great, Stefan really knows his stuff." She smiled remembering all the amazing things her brother-in-law had managed to add on her website. "And I think we're going good for starters; Care has been helping me she's really good with numbers."

"Yes she is!" he smiled at her. "Why don't you let me help you? I know people; I could help you launch it," he braced his arms on the concrete next to her and pulled himself up. Elena almost had to fan herself while she looked at him because she was sure no other human being could look as hot as he did exiting a pool.

"Damon I already told you why I don't want you to help me."

He sat next to her and gestured for her to give him some of the lemonade so she refilled her glass and handed over to him. "I know but me helping you wouldn't mean it doesn't belong to you," he sipped as he stared at her with warm eyes. "It would still be yours."

"I don't know," she was still hesitant but at least seemed more open to exploring the idea of him helping her out.

He placed the glass behind him and leaned towards her, "Just think about it sweetheart," he kissed her cheek and she nuzzled into his face.

"Damon…"

He chuckled against her skin and pulled away, "Yes Elena?"

"What is going on with you and Katherine?" the minute the words left her mouth the smile died on his lips, "I saw a bunch of calls to her on your phone."

His eye brows rose so high she thought they were going to reach his hairline, "You went through my phone?" He gave her a quizzical look, "How do you even know the code?"

Elena shrugged embarrassed, "I pay attention." She lowered her eyes and started fidgeting with the hem of her dress, "It wasn't intentional, I saw a message from her and I couldn't help myself." She was silent for a few seconds before taking courage and lifting her eyes to him again, "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm more shocked than anything," he stretched his hand and caressed her cheeks. "My little felon," he leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips, "But let's not make that a custom, all right?"

"Promise!" she nodded, "So?"

Damon sighed, "I don't know, there's something that worries me about her. When we were in Chicago she wanted to say something to me but you interrupted us and then she seemed just too scared to speak."

Elena huffed in response, "Scared? Of what could she possibly be scared?"

Damon's eyes were hard as he looked at her, "Not what but who."

It took Elena a few seconds to understand what he was trying to say and whom he was referring to, "You don't think…"

A frosty mask settled on his face as he said curtly, "He's been on the top of my list of suspects from day one Elena."

"Damon I've known the man since I was ten," she said, "His mother used to be a maid at the house there's no way he has ties with the Russians."

His jaw clenched as irrational anger coiled in his stomach at the idea of Elena defending that man, "It's just a gut feeling."

"What did Kat tell you?"

"Nothing, she just ignored my calls and then texted me saying to let it go. Which only makes me mistrust him more."

"Yeah!" Elena said looking lost as she thought about what Damon was telling her and she wondered if she truly knew who Elijah Smith was and what exactly her sister's role was in the matter.

"But stop, today is about us," he placed a hand underneath her chin and forced her to stare at him.

"It's not that easy," she said in a soft voice and Damon caught himself wishing once again that he could give her more than this life, filled with violence and death.

A grin appeared on his face as he vowed to make her forget about everything but them, even if it was just for today, "Yes it is" He took hold of her and dived into the water with her body clinging to his.

"DAMON!" Elena shouted as she tried to take her soaking hair out of her face, "I can't believe you did that, this is my favourite skirt."

He let out a carefree and throaty laugh, "I can't believe I didn't do it sooner!" He took hold of her waist and in no time he had her pinned against the pool wall, "You drive me crazy Elena." In a matter of seconds his eyes went from playful to hungry, " _Sei il sole della mia vita amore mio._ "

"What did you say?" she asked breathlessly as his mouth descended onto her neck and her legs opened so he could step into them.

He nipped at the wet skin of her neck as he whispered, "That you are the sunshine of my life." His hand went inside her skirt which was currently floating around her waist and started lowering the lacy thong she was wearing.

"Damon - someone might see," she hissed as her eyes searched in alarm at their surroundings. The sun was almost hidden so the backyard was cast mostly in darkness.

He chuckled, "No one is here bambolina." She stepped out of her underwear and he groaned in appreciation as his fingers made contact with the soft hot skin of her center.

"But…"

He raised his hands and pressed her lips to his, "Hush!" he whispered against her mouth. "Give yourself to me darling."

"Oh Damon!" She moaned as she felt him inserting a finger into her waiting heat. Her legs opened wider as she threw her head back and thrust her chest out to him desperate to feel his tongue on her hardened nipples.

"Do you want me?" he whispered huskily as he eyed her breasts through her now transparent white I love New York shirt.

"Yes!" she hissed, almost moaning with yearning to feel his thick arousal against her, inside her!

His eyes were almost black with lust as he lowered his face and latched his mouth onto one of her breasts, Elena groaned in complete pleasure at the feel of his wet mouth around her heated flesh, "How much?" he asked as he retreated his hands from her.

Elena groaned in displeasure, "Stop it!"

"Tell me!" he said with a chuckle and her stormy eyes opened up.

She took hold of the waistband of his swim trunks and pulled him to her violently, "I fucking need you inside me right now, so stop playing with me and fuck me already!" she unlaced them and lowered them enough to free him

His eyes almost rolled at the back of his head when she took him into her hands, "You have no idea how hard your words are making me right now, I feel like I will explode if I am in not inside you right now," he muttered.

"Oh I do!" she said mischievously as she ran her hands up and down his erection seductively and she grabbed him and guided him to her waiting heat and he hissed at how wet and hot she was for him.

She spread her legs even wider to accommodate him and once the tip was at her entrance he couldn't control himself and thrust all the way inside. The air got sucked out of both of them with the force of his thrust, "Fuck!" he muttered as he let his head fall into the crook of her neck, both of his hands braced behind her as his hips dove into her with an animalistic strength.

He looked at her and bent down take her nipples into his mouth and she pushed herself against him, the sight of her breasts outlined in her transparent t-shirt and the feel of her wet and hot sex as his fingers plunged inside her heat was almost enough to make him explode.

"Damon!" Elena whined as her hands went to his back and gripped the skin there, she was feeling him all the way up, deeper than she had ever felt him before. Although their sex life was beyond spectacular and each experience was pleasurable beyond belief, this time everything felt surreally perfect.

"Do you feel that Elena?" he panted against her neck as his hand went between her legs to work on her sensitive clit. "Tell me how much you love it."

Her nails dug into his back as she thrust back into him, matching his rhythm push by push, "Oh my God I do, damn it Damon!"

He raised his head and stared into hers, "You're mine," his eyes were almost frantic and looked feral as they looked at her, "Always mine!" He took her lips in a bruising kiss as his rhythm sped up.

"Fuck!" he groaned against her mouth as he felt the heels of her feet digging into his backside

"Yes please, just…" his hand flickered over her clit once more and Elena exploded around him, her walls clenching and milking everything out of him. Damon grunted incoherent words as his orgasm swept him up and brought him back down as he slumped against her, his member still deeply rooted inside her.

"Oh wow!" Elena laughed breathlessly as she caressed his face, "Best day ever!" He dropped his forehead against hers.

"Completely agree!" He grinned. "Let's go bambolina, the day is not over yet."

He took her in his arms to their bedroom, water dripping on the marbled floors as he walked. He stripped her completely at the entrance of the shower, their soaked clothes falling on the floor with a thud loudly before he pushed her inside and proceeded to devour her against the shower wall once again.

He worshiped her body like it was the finest treat and when she slid her hands along his erection feeling the texture of his skin, he hissed and let out a groan of pure need as he hardened even more under her eager fingers. She stroked him from the base of his shaft all the way up to the sensitive tip which she raked with her fingernails, her fingers tightening and loosening around his hard cock rhythmically, taking him to the edge and stopping. "Elena, don't tease," he groaned desperately as he pushed himself into her hands. She got down on her knees and as she finally took him in her mouth he swore as he arched his back and let out a loud swear breathlessly, "Oh Fuck Elena!"

Elena remembered once when she and Bonnie were younger they had watched a video of a girl sucking her guy's dick and Elena had sworn to never, under any circumstance, do that because it was just too gross but right now she couldn't think of anything better than having him inside her mouth.

She was no expert, she had never done it before but she tried to do it like a pro and from the way he was squirming and groaning and how hard his hand was pulling at her hair she imagined she was doing alright.

He knew she hadn't done this before and that turned him on even more. Knowing that it was his cock that was in her mouth and no one else ever had the pleasure of having her tongue wrapped around them taking them to unbelievable heights of pleasure. She looked up at him mischievously and he thought he would come right there and then at the look in her eyes. She gave it her all and he could feel her tongue everywhere as she sucked and nipped and licked him into oblivion and when her hands squeezed his balls lightly he almost came there and then. He writhed around in pleasure, the muscles in his neck corded over as he threw his head back and groaned gutturally.

She looked up at him naughtily as he twisted his neck around and said, "Stop…. Otherwise I will come in your mouth…"

She simply looked up at him, breathed deeply to take him further in to her throat and he screamed as he hit the back of her throat, she chuckled at his response and the vibrations caused by her laugh was enough to take him over the edge.

Damon looked down and saw Elena's head bobbing up and down around his length and swore that there was no more thrilling sight, "Fuck it Elena, you're going to kill me." She smiled and flicked her tongue around the mushroom head before hollowing her cheeks and taking him almost completely inside her.

"Fuck!" he bucked his hips against her and his hands gripped her hair even more tightly. "Step away doll, _per favore_." She made no sign of wanting to stop as she continued taking him even deeper and dug her nails on the skin of his buttocks. "Cara I'm going to come, move." The coil in the pit of his stomach started to grow and when she hummed around his length he couldn't hold it anymore. "Fuuuuuck Elena" He threw his head back as he unloaded everything inside him into her waiting mouth and she swallowed like a champion

She released his length with a pop and smiled mischievously at him and cutely wiped her mouth with the back of her hands, "Yum' she said cutely before before leaning down and pressing a last kiss on the tip of his cock. "Jesus Elena!" he took her underneath the armpits and forced her to stand up. "What in the world was that?" he asked breathlessly.

"If I have to explain that to you then you're not as smart as you think you are," she said with a smile which earned her a slap on the bum by him.

"Sassy girl!" he drew her into his arms. "Would you marry me woman?" she threw her arms around him as he pressed her to his body.

"Yes I will marry you!" he grinned at her and his eyes shone with adoration for her before he leaned down to kiss her. They remained in the shower kissing before he started lathering them both up and then rising.

After they finished their shower, he excused himself to go and check on some business while Elena sat at her dressing table brushing her hair and applying cream into her skin. She didn't want the day to end, she wanted to keep living in this blissful bubble where they were just a young couple, where she had married the most interesting and confusing man and the worst of her problems was to know what he truly felt for her.

She didn't want the day to end because deep down she knew that tomorrow reality would come crashing down on them. Because then she wouldn't be able to ignore the threat of the Russians who were after them, or the fact that her brother was dead and that her husband was in danger every time he walked out the door.

"Shut down that little head of yours," Damon said softly as he walked into the bedroom and saw her sitting on the dressing table with her eyes lost somewhere else. "The day is not over!" Elena sighed and turned around in the chair to stare at him.

Even in a pair of pajama pants and a simple grey t-shirt Damon was still the most handsome man she had ever met, "I'm sorry!"

"Don't be!" he walked closer and extended his hands towards her, "Come, let's have dinner!" She looked at him questioningly but accepted his proffered hand.

He walked her to one of the guest rooms at the far end of the hallway, "Okay this is weird!" Elena whispered and he only chuckled in response. When the door to the room opened, Elena felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Blankets and pillows had been placed on the floor at the foot of the bed creating another bed of sorts, little tea candles were scattered on every available surface that wasn't the floor, a bottle of wine was resting on a chiller and on the coffee table there was lasagna, cheesecake and garlic bread sticks.

"Damon this is…" she trailed off as her eyes went to the huge flat screen strategically placed in front of their made up bed and she couldn't help the light hearted laugh that came escaped her when she saw the movie it was paused at, "You're going to watch Anastasia with me?"

She had once mentioned to him that it was her favorite movie and he had confessed to never having watched an animated movie in his life, and her heart had ached for that little boy who was cheated of his childhood.

"Well I thought I might give it a shot!" he smiled sheepishly. "Come on!" he tugged at her hand and she went willingly as her eyes filled with tears, "Hey, don't cry," he stood up in front of her and used his thumbs to erase the tears from under her eyes, "I didn't do this to make you cry."

He looked so out of his depth that Elena wanted to sigh with love for him, "It's just… I'm happy," she smiled through her tears and saw his face relaxing before he leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead.

They sat down among the pillows and as they devoured the food and watched the movie, which Damon had to agree was better than he had thought it would be; Elena couldn't help but think that perhaps he did love her but had no idea that he did. How could a man who had been shown nothing but cruelty in his life know what love truly was?

A lot of people spoke those three words on a daily basis without truly meaning them, Damon said he could never love her and yet he did amazing little things that showed her how wrong he was.

While she snuggled into his arms and watched Dimitri and Anastasia dancing on the screen she realized that she didn't care if he ever uttered those words to her because in every touch and every glance he proved that he was so much more than the monster he pretended to be, and that he cared for her far more than he dared to admit, and that honestly was enough for her.


	21. Devil may cry

**Hello there lovelies!**

 **I'm so sorry for the delay but as I promised I bring you a new chapter. I really really like this one so I hope you like it as well and that it was worth the wait.**

 **I want to thank Amber who is an awsome beta and it's taking time to correct this even if she's on vacations.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"It's not fair to show someone the sun and then banish him from it. Even the devil may cry when looks around hell and realizes that he's there alone."

 **Sherrilyn Kenyon**

 **.**

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"Okay! I think this might be the worst idea you've ever had" Elena hissed at her blonde best friend from the passenger side of the silver minivan.

Caroline rolled her eyes at her friend for what seemed like the tenth time that day, "Relax, we'll be fine!"

Elena huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest while her eyes were fixated on the road, "I don't know how you convinced me to do this. Damon will kill us!"

The blonde chuckled, "You will bat those long pretty eyelashes at him and it will all be okay."

"Don't be so sure!" Elena muttered looking extremely put out and worried.

"Just look how excited she is!" Caroline said gesturing towards the back seat and Elena turned around to see the cheerful face of the five-year old Maytana whose eyes were wide apart, wondrously drinking in her environ through the car window.

Elena sighed and had to agree with Caroline, if Damon was going to be angry with her afterwards it was going to be worth it, just to see those green eyes twinkle with excitement.

Two weeks had passed by since Elena and Damon had shared that blissful day when they had pretended be someone else to escape the horrors that were besetting their lives, but like in life nothing was easy or permanent, two days after an untraceable box with a message from Klaus had arrived. Damon was losing his mind because the inability to track and get the Russian man aroused a feeling of impotency that he could not abide. He had ordered a complete lock down on the house and no one but him and his men were allowed to leave the house.

Before that event, Caroline had promised little Maytana that she would take her to see Aladdin in a Broadway production, the blonde even got the tickets but Damon had said that it was absolutely out of the question. That had been almost two weeks ago and since then there hadn't been any sign of Klaus lurking around them, and so the chipper blonde had decided to sneak out for a few hours during the day and take the little girl to Broadway.

Elena had no idea how, but she had found herself complicit in this scheme, so now she was accompanying the blonde in her defiant mission and expecting to deal with Damon's wrath once they arrived back home.

"Is Princess Jasmine going to be there?" Maytana asked excitedly as Elena took her in her arms, climbed out of the van and put her on the floor with her little hand tucked securely in hers.

"Yes she is!" Caroline said with a grin as they walked into the theater.

Elena's heart was beating a mile a minute with fear as they walked but she tried to stay rational and calm her errant thoughts, Klaus hadn't made an appearance in two weeks. What were the odds of him knowing exactly when they were going to sneak out? Besides Elena doubted that he would try to do something in broad daylight in the middle of Times Square. So she told herself there was no need to be afraid and to just enjoy the moment with the little girl.

Thirty minutes into the show, Elena knew that it was all going to be worth it, not only was Maytana almost quivering with excitement, Elena herself was bowled over and amazed as the fantasy world unfolded itself in front of her for the first time, and when 'A whole new world' started, tears leaked out of her eyes from the sheer beauty of the moment.

"It was the best ever!" Maytana shouted as they exited the theater, "I want be Princess Jasmine!"

Elena threw her head back and laughed joyously alongside Caroline, "You already are a princess, little girl!"

Giggling and discussing the show and their favourite moments and the songs, the three girls climbed back into the van and after picking up some pastries from one of Caroline's favorite bakeries, they were on their way back to the Salvatore mansion. They prepared themselves for the umbrage they were sure to receive from the Salvatore brothers who were waiting for them impatient as hell considering the number of phone calls they had made in the last couple of hours.

"I'm going to blame all of it on you," Elena told her friend while Maytana slept soundlessly in the backseat.

"Oh don't worry," The blonde chuckled, "I can take it."

A few minutes into the road leading home Elena saw her sister-in-law getting tense, "What is it?" she asked but Caroline only shook her head dismissively.

"Nothing!"

A frown appeared on Elena's forehead as she saw her friend taking a wrong turn, "Care, the way isn't over there," she pointed out.

"I know!" Caroline said calmly her eyes completely fixed on the road, the blonde made another turn that took her to a more populated area of the city.

"Caroline what is going on?" Elena asked, her heart beating wildly in her chest, because she was certain that her friend's behavior wasn't normal.

"I think we're being followed," the blonde muttered and Elena's eyes widened in response, "Don't freak out. Look behind, there's a black suburban. It's been behind us for a while now."

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Elena cursed, "I knew this was a bad idea!"

"No time to start making accusations," Caroline told her and for the first time Elena detected the nervous edge in her voice. "Dial Damon and put him on speaker."

Elena wasted no time and took her mobile out of her purse and immediately did what she was told. The phone rang exactly twice before Damon's angry voice started bellowing, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Damon calm down," Caroline intervened. "We need help."

"What happened?" he said with a sudden shift in attitude, as soon as he heard the worry in his sister-in-law's voice.

"Someone's following us," Caroline said and Elena looked behind to see if the little girl in the backseat was still sleeping; she was and she hoped the girl would remain that way until they managed to get back to the house. She was still too young to be caught up in all of this.

"Where are you?" he asked in a clipped tone. The sound of doors slamming could be heard and Elena let out a sigh of relief at knowing Damon was going to come to get them.

"We're right in front of St. George's market," Caroline said. "I'm trying to stay on busy streets but that makes it impossible for me to get to the road towards the mansion."

"Head in direction of Boerum Hill," Damon instructed. "We're fifteen minutes away." Caroline nodded despite the fact that her brother-in-law couldn't see her and did as he instructed. "Try to lose them off St. Mark's avenue and then head in the direction north so you can get into the highway."

"Okay, got it!"

"Elena…" Damon whispered, his voice filled with worry and emotion "Turn on the locator on your phone so we can track you, Caroline you turn on the one in the car." Damon bit out and both girls felt dumb and embarrassed for what they had allowed to happen.

Caroline did as Damon told her and breathed a sigh of relief when she looked behind and saw that the suburban was no longer behind them. "I think we lost them." she talked into the phone.

"Good, we're a few minutes away now."

Caroline put her foot on the gas and tried to drive as fast as she could without risking an accident. Elena looked back to see Maytana and that's when she saw that the black SUV had reappeared and seemed to be headed towards them at full speed.

"They're right behind us," Elena's voice dripped with fear and she could hear Damon cursing in the distance.

"Speed up Caroline!" he said through clenched teeth. Elena glanced back to make sure the sleeping toddler was alright.

"How far are you Damon?" Elena's voice quivered as she spoke.

"Just a few minutes, baby girl."

It seemed as if everything around her was moving in slow motion, Elena glanced back and saw the exact moment the black SUV hit their vehicle. She felt the blow and heard Caroline's squeal as she lost control of the van and they went skidding off the ground.

Elena's head bumped against the window and she felt a trace of hot blood running down the length of her cheek but she didn't dwell on it. After checking to see if Caroline was okay, she unstrapped herself from the seat belt and turned around to pick up the little girl who although crying was luckily completely uninjured.

"We need to get out of the car," she heard Caroline's voice as she watched her reaching for a gun stashed in the glove compartment.

Three men dressed in all-black stepped out of the SUV that had just hit them but as they started to approach them the screeching sound of another car was heard and Elena and Caroline had to duck down inside the car as gunshots started to rain behind them.

Maytana cried more loudly so Elena held her to her chest while trying to to comfort and keep her calm. She watched Caroline stepping out of the vehicle and sighed when her friend told her everything was all right now. Elena followed her friend's example and climbed out of the car just in time to see the bodies of two of the men chasing them and the third one being dragged into the car by a raging Enzo.

"Are you two out of your fucking minds?!" Elena heard the fuming voice of her husband and directed her eyes towards his enraged form walking towards them. "Do you have an idea how stupid you were?!" Out of the corner of her eye she could see Caroline and Stefan in a heated argument but couldn't hear what they were saying because unlike his brother he was speaking in heated whispers.

"I'm sorry okay!" she cried as he stood in front of her, Maytana was still crying and her little hands were clutched around Elena's neck. Damon's eyes went to the little girl and practically ripped her out of Elena's arms into his, he kissed the side of the child's head and pressed her into his chest while his eyes looked at Elena with a mixture of anger and fear. "I could kill you myself Elena Salvatore!" he muttered before extending his arm and pulling her into his embrace as well. "Don't you ever do that to me again," he whispered against her skin as he prepped kisses all over her face. "You scared the shit out of me Elena."

Maytana was only whimpering now as Damon held them both in his arms. Elena wanted to smack herself when the significance of the Caroline and her reckless behavior hit her, the weight of guilt made her heart clench. Not only could both of them had died today but also Maytana who was still so young and innocent could have lost her life before it even started and Mrs. Flowers would have lost everything.

Damon took Elena and Caroline back to the mansion while Stefan stayed behind with Alaric to clean up the mess. They were in complete silence the entire time as the atmosphere in the car bristled with unspoken tension. Maytana was fast asleep in Elena's arms and she thanked God that nothing bad had happened to the little girl.

With tear stained eyes Elena handed over the sleeping girl to her grandmother who clutched her tightly to her chest while reassuring Elena that there was nothing to be sorry for, the younger woman wondered briefly just how much tragedy Mrs. Flowers had seen in her life to remain calm and not be too distressed about the event that had taken place a little while ago.

The silence was deafening as Elena and Damon headed towards their bedroom, silent tears streamed down her face as his body shook with barely contained anger. The moment the door of the room closed behind them all hell broke loose.

"What the fuck were you two thinking?" he shouted at her as he started pacing the length of the room. His blue eyes were blazing with fury as he stared at her and for the first time in a long while Elena felt afraid of him.

She looked down sniffing, "I'm sorry!"

His jaw clenched at seeing the tears silently trail down her face, "Sorry isn't good enough Elena!"

She raised her tear stained eyes and looked pleadingly at him, "Damon I'm…"

He raised a hand in the air and stopped his pacing to stare at her, "No, just stop. Don't try to sweet talk your way out of this. I gave a fucking order Elena and when I command something I expect to be followed," he lashed out and saw the minute her eyes changed from regretful to angry.

She moved away from the wall where she had been slumped against and stood right in front of him, "I'm not a fucking child Damon, you can't command me to do shit!"

He laughed sardonically, "Apparently you are, because your stupidity and childish attitude almost got you all killed!"

She clenched her jaw so hard her head started to ache, she couldn't believe he could be this mean to her minutes after she almost got killed "Well this isn't something I would have to worry about it if I wasn't married to you!" she saw him flinch at her words but was so blinded by her own anger that she didn't even care. "Everything that happened today was because the life you live is full of violence and blood!"

He closed his eyes as if it pained him to hear what she was saying, "Don't fucking push me Elena," his eyes were stormy when he opened them again and his voice low and dangerous as he spoke. "You're so damn naïve that you don't recognize the fact that you've been living this 'life' your whole existence. You just never realized it before"

Angry tears escaped from her eyes, "I hate you!"

"No you don't!" he told her harshly, "The stunt you two pulled today could have cost you your lives and Maytana's. I can't believe you were foolish enough to allow that," he spat out before turning around and heading towards the door but Elena moved fast enough to latch her hands onto his arm and force him to stop.

"Don't you fucking dare walk out that door, you stupid, arrogant asshole!" she bit out in his face.

He shook his arm away from her hand and raised an eye brow, "Excuse me?"

She huffed in exasperation, "You're the most disgusting son of a bitch I've ever had the misfortune to meet," her voice quivered and Damon's anger started to subdue. "I almost died today Damon, I just experienced one of the most traumatic experiences of my entire life and instead of comforting me like any normal husband would, you're here yelling at me!" she had started crying and Damon's hand itched with the desire to pull her into his arms and comfort her.

"Don't start with…"

"I was scared as fuck and you don't even care!" she shouted between sobs. "It's been a damn rough night, so stop yelling at me. I understand what I did was careless but I am the victim here Damon, you have no reason to be so hard on me!"

"I am so hard on you because I love you damn it!" he exploded.

Elena stared dumbstruck at him for a few seconds and her expression was reflected in his face as well, as if he couldn't believe the words that had left his mouth, "Damon…"

"You were scared as fuck?! I was fucking terrified Elena!" now that he had started Damon didn't think he was able to stop, "Do you have any idea of what I felt during those moments? Never in my life have I been so scared of something," his voice broke down at the end and Elena raised her hand to touch him but he flinched away from her.

"I…"

"I felt like I was going to die Elena!" he choked out as he moved backwards bumping into the bed. "You understand that? You managed to find a way into my heart and now there's no way of getting you out. I fought this for so long because how could I know what love is? I am a monster Elena; I've never been anything else… I thought I couldn't possible love but then you…" his eyes filled with tears that he refused to let escape, as he stared at her. "You walked into my life and now I…I must love you Elena because I don't know what this feeling is that I have inside me." He took a hand to his chest and rubbed the skin there as if that way he could make some sense of what he was feeling.

"You know I love you too Damon, you know that I too would die if something happened to you," she said as she moved towards him. "But it wasn't my fault."

"I know, I fucking know that Elena," he bit out as he let himself sink into the floor. "But I felt so out of control. I'm so angry at you for making me feel this way," he thumped a hand against his chest as he spoke, "for putting yourself at risk. I'm so fucking angry."

"I'm sorry!" she kneeled down in front of him and took his face between her hands, pressing kisses into any expanse of skin she could find. "I'm sorry for what we did Damon"

He shook his hand and took his hand to her waist, dragging her closer to his body, locking her in the safety of his embrace. "I'm sorry for being such an asshole to you Elena," he kissed the spot where her shoulder met her neck, "For dragging you into this messy world, for doing everything I did."

Elena sighed, "Damon it's okay. I'm sorry for what I did."

"No it's not. I don't deserve you," a wretched sob was torn out of his throat but his eyes remained dry of tears, "I never did!" They slumped back until she was sitting on the floor and he was curled on the floor with his head in her lap.

She caressed his hair softly as she whispered, "That's not true!"

"It is. Someone like me can't hold something as precious as you without breaking it or tarnishing it," his hand bunched the hem of her dress as she spoke; his knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping the fabric.

"Don't say that!" Elena said softly as she caressed him and felt him relaxing under her touch.

He was silent for a few seconds and she wondered if he had fallen asleep, when he spoke again his voice sounded raw and tired, "It's the truth. But I fucking need you too much to let you go."

"I don't want to be let go off," Elena said wholeheartedly.

No matter how hard she had resisted the union at the beginning now she couldn't for the life of her imagine her world without Damon in it, she had become addicted to him and knew that she would rather die than be parted from him.

"I'm so sorry Elena," he said against the fabric of her dress, "I'm so sorry!"

In that moment Damon finally understood what true love was, he realized that no matter what he had believed his entire life he was indeed capable of feeling it. He loved Elena and because he loved her he knew he had to let go of her. Because love was more than just wanting to be with the person you cared about, it's wanting that person to be safe, happy and loved even if it's not at your side.

For the first time Damon knew he couldn't be selfish, because being selfish meant destroying the one thing that mattered the most to him.

Damon Salvatore loved Elena Gilbert and because of that he was going to let her go.


	22. Perfection doesn't exist

**Hey there!**

 **Thank you so much for all your reviews and coments on the previous chapter, I'm so happy to know you all enjoyed it.**

 **As always I want to thank Amber for correcting this for me and doing an amazing job as my beta.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"Perfection doesn't exist. It's a mask people use to conceal their ugly truths. Never trust someone who only ever smiles at you"

 **J.M Darhower**

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Hanging up the phone, Damon sighed irritably, he had made yet another failed attempt at contacting Katherine, apparently she was touring the Mediterranean in an effort to let go of her problems, Damon couldn't roll his eyes hard enough at hearing this.

He shoved his chair away from the desk and got up as he unbuttoned the top buttons of his dark blue dress shirt. With Klaus still nowhere to be found; Stefan breathing down his neck about the Russian's obsession with Caroline; and Katherine eluding him, he was having the worst week of his life.

To make things worse he couldn't stop thinking about Rebekah; after what the Russian man had pulled trying to hurt Caroline and Elena, whether he wanted to or not he had been forced to do something in retaliation, and the blonde girl had been the one to pay the price. She had been executed and her scared eyes had been haunting Damon for days, an innocent girl caught in a war she didn't ask to be any part of, just like Elena.

Rebekah's murder only reaffirmed his decision of letting Elena go, once everything was over with Klaus he was going to find a way to give her the life she always wanted. Safe and far away from all this violence that surrounded him.

The thought of letting her go soured his mood even more; with a heavy sigh he pushed open the door of his home office and headed in the direction of the kitchen. He hadn't eaten breakfast and perhaps some food would help him cool down so he could stop torturing himself.

As if God himself had put her in his path, when Damon reached the kitchen he didn't find Mrs. Flowers, but Elena instead. Covered in flour and with chocolate stains on her cheeks, she had placed Maytana on a stool with a cooking book in her lap while she mixed things in a bowl.

"And what is this?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow and the beginnings of a smile forming on his lips.

"Oh I didn't see you there," Elena said a bit flustered as she tried to remove a lock of hair from her forehead and managed to get even more chocolate batter on her forehead.

"Mr. Damon!" Maytana squealed when she saw him and bestowed on him the widest of smiles.

He chuckled and walked further into the kitchen, "What are you making?" he asked as he leaned his elbows on the stool across from them.

"Chocolate fudge cake!" Maytana grinned and directed her eyes to Elena, "Aren't we Miss Lena?"

The brunette smiled back at the girl and leaned down to bump her forehead against the kids', "We are at least trying to." Damon felt his heart warming at the sight of the two of them together and for the briefest of instants wondered what would become of him when Elena went out of his life.

Was he only going to live with the notion of what it feels like to have light in your life? Would his nights go back to being cold, hollow and lonely?

"Fudge cake? One of my favorites."

"I know!" Elena answered with a small smile playing on her lips while her eyes were still trained on the batter in front of her, "Contrary to current appearances, I'm actually pretty good in the kitchen, but this recipe is proving to be very difficult for me."

"Is that so?" Damon said with a chuckle. "It's Mrs. Flowers recipe isn't?" Elena nodded at him, "Well I happen to be very good in the kitchen as well, Mrs. Salvatore," he said as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt upwards. "In fact I could make this recipe in my dreams."

Maytana's green eyes shot up to him, "Would you be our helper, Mr. Damon?" she asked with a bright and happy smile.

He leaned towards her and pinched her nose softly, "You are going to be my helpers, piccolina." The girl giggled at the attention from him and Elena felt her heart melting at the sight of the two of them together.

"Damon Salvatore, a master in the kitchen," she teased him. "It shouldn't be fair to be good at everything, you know."

He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with delight as he moved towards her, "Nobody said life is fair, dear wife," he leaned down to place a kiss on her cheeks and took the spoon out of her hands, "Now let's see where you are having problems."

Damon spent the rest of his morning making cake with Elena and Maytana, every time he was with Elena she seemed to surround him with her bright, cheerful aura making him forget everything that was wrong in the world.

They laughed and joked, there were a lot of kisses and tender touches. Never before had he got to experience moments like this and if he was being honest with himself, he had never thought he needed them either. Damon had seen Stefan and Caroline being affectionate with each other since a young age and had seen their love grow but not even once had he desired something like that for himself.

Until she had arrived and taken over his heart and enflamed his senses. Her soft touch and gentle eyes had slowly but surely driven themselves deep in his soul and shaken his entire perspective on life.

He had once read that the strongest trees take root in the darkest places on earth, that's what makes them strong, so following that example he had allowed darkness to reign over him, to swallow him whole so that one day he could be invincible. But then she came into his life, and like a hurricane of light she blasted away the coils that had locked his heart protecting it from hurt since a young age, she had cast away all the darkness from his life with her light.

The last thing he wanted now was for her to encounter that darkness; she was sunshine, she was pureness and she would be happier without him. The thought threatened to dampen his mood but she laughed at something Maytana said to her and all his fears were forgotten.

She always managed to do that, Elena had snuck under his skin and now there was no way of getting her out of there.

"You're so serious today, why?" she asked circling his waist with her arms from behind and resting her face on his back, "What's wrong?" she asked as she slowly peppered kisses on his back and her fingers caressed his chest, as she ran her nails through his chest to his stomach. He felt a tingle electrify his senses at her touch and he closed his eyes enjoying her soft touch.

He breathed in raggedly and held her hands that were resting on his stomach; there was nothing in the world that thrilled him more than the feel of her body against his. "Nothing is wrong mia bella," his eyes were trained on the little blonde girl whose eyes were fixed on the growing cake inside the oven and his mind went back briefly to another young child whom he had loved with every fiber of his being.

Another child taken away from him because of who he was. Who he was always going to be.

"You promised me, no more secrets Damon," she whispered softly and he felt her kiss against his clothed back.

"I swear I'm not hiding anything darling," he lied and turned in her arms so he could face her, "You are so beautiful," he whispered almost in awe as he removed a bit of dried chocolate form her cheeks.

"I hardly think I can be called beautiful right now," she complained as she tried to remove the rest of the chocolate and flour from her face but he stopped her hands and pinned them down at her sides as he embraced her again.

"You are always beautiful, tesoro mio!" he leaned down his face and kissed her lips softly, their taste was of sweetness and comfort. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the kiss, the passion igniting as it always did between them, he growled as he felt her teeth bite his lower lips. It took everything in him not to push her on to the counter and drive himself into her until nothing remained between them but the feeling of being one, but the presence of little Maytana stopped him and he pulled away leaning his forehead against hers as they both breathed hard to get their heartbeat under control. Elena was everything he never knew he wanted or needed and now that he had her he had no idea how he was going to find the strength to let her go.

Hours later, Damon leaned back on the black leather chair of his office and stared at the papers that were scattered on top of his big mahogany desk. "How certain are we of this?" he said in a clipped voice as the rush of something resembling exhilaration started buzzing in his veins.

"As certain as we can be," his brother answered.

"We've been pulling strings everywhere Damon and finally someone came through, we finally have what we wanted," Liz Forbes said with her chin raised in evident pride, after all it had been her allies who had given them the exact location of Niklaus Mikaelson's hiding place, where he had been since he stepped foot onto American soil again.

"Marcel is on his way," the younger Salvatore informed him and Damon nodded, his mind still fixated on the pictures scattered in front of him. The glory was so close he could feel it on the tips of his fingers, there was nothing more he wanted than Klaus's head on a spike and it seemed like he was finally going to get his wish.

The beast inside of him was raising his head again, blood thirsty and ravenous. Waiting for the revenge that was promised so long ago.

"Good, we'll wait for him to start developing an attack plan," Damon said as he raised his eyes and found the ones of his friend and brother staring at him, "All of us want a piece of the prize this time." For various different reasons everyone wanted the chance to plunge a stake in Klaus's heart, he just hoped he was the one who would give him the coup de grace.

"We can't leave anything to chance this time Damon," Liz said in a steely tone. "We might not get another shot after this."

"Don't worry Liz; I don't intend for that rat to escape us again." The older blonde nodded solemnly at him. She trusted him blindly and knew that Damon Salvatore never broke a vow.

When after a few minutes, Damon's phone rang and he saw the name of his father-in-law on the screen, he asked for privacy so he could take the call. "Have you thought about what I said?" If someone had told Damon a couple of months ago that he would be resorting to Grayson Gilbert for advice, he would have called them idiots and laughed at their face.

But the man had changed, something about burying his oldest child in the ground had twisted the man and Damon knew that the only thing that mattered to him now was to keep the rest of his family safe.

"Good night to you too, Damon," the man on the other side of the phone replied drily.

Damon chuckled, "I think we're both past formalities, Gilbert," he said nonchalantly. He didn't want to make small talk with his father-in-law and he sure as hell wasn't going to breathe a word about having found Klaus's whereabouts. The older man had been too unstable lately; Damon couldn't trust him with that kind of information. The Gilberts deserved justice, revenge for what Klaus took from them but it wasn't going to be Grayson who would mete it, Damon was going to do it and it was all going to be because of Elena.

He was going to deliver that man's heart on a silver platter to her.

"I think I might have an idea. A way to keep them safe," Grayson said bringing him back to the reason for his call. Damon's overwhelming need to keep Elena safe had led him to trust the one man he never thought he would.

"I'm listening!"

"Not yet. I want to make sure it'll work first," Damon jaw's clenched at the words.

"Why call then?" he asked in a clipped tone.

"I just wanted to let you know I've been working on it," the other man said calmly. "And for you to be prepared, if you're willing to do whatever it takes, you must know that giving her up is one of the rules."

"Of course I know that," Damon bit out. "If I want her safe it has to be away from me." It pained him so say it but it was nothing but the truth.

"I'm glad we understand that," Grayson told him. "I'll be in touch Damon." With those as his parting words, the Gilbert boss disconnected the call and let the blue-eyed man wallow in grief as the hole in his chest starting to enlarge.

His sweet Elena; how selfish he had been when he had ripped her away from the only place she had known. How cruel of him to wish for her love, to steal it from her knowing what happened to the people that loved him.

If Damon could find a way to go back in time he would have done things differently, he would have let her be free and live a life away from him and all the cold darkness that surrounded him. She was a singing bird destined to whither away locked in the cage he prepared for her, that's why he had to set her free.

Let her fly away.

Damon was so lost in his own thoughts that when the door of his office slammed open he almost jumped out of his chair. Frantic eyes moved towards the door and he found his best friend and consigliere at the threshold raising a folder in front of him, "You need to see this."

"What's going on Ric?" Stefan asked as he and Enzo trailed behind the older man. He had rushed alarmingly fast into Damon's office, grabbing the attention of the two men who had been having drinks in the living room.

"Take a look!" the blonde man dropped the folder on Damon's desk. A frown appeared on the Boss's face as he leaned down and started skimming his eyes through the contents.

"Where did you get these?" Damon asked, a vein was ticking in his jaw as his eyes blazed with every new sentence he read.

"One of Marcel's guys just delivered to me, I have no idea where he got them," Alaric answered as Damon took one of the papers in front of him and bunched it in his hand before throwing it across the room with a howl.

Even Stefan felt the need to take two steps back when his brother rose from his chair, eyes burning so deep it seemed flames would come out at any second, "Enzo we are on lockdown," he barked at his friend, "Make sure you have guards everywhere, no one leaves or enters this house without my permission, no one. No exceptions."

The Englishman nodded somberly, "Got it Boss!"

"Get Grayson Gilbert on the phone and tell him not to let Elijah Smith out of his side but not to breathe a word why," Enzo raised a questioning brow and Damon snapped at him, "Just do it!"

The man stormed out of the room to comply with his Boss's demands right away.

"What the fuck is going on?" Stefan asked as he looked between Alaric and Damon.

"I was right the whole fucking time," Damon muttered.

"Ric?" Stefan directed his attention towards the older man who seemed to be more in control of his emotions.

Alaric sighed as he dropped himself on one of the leather chairs placed in front of Damon's desk, "Elijah is Niklaus's half-brother."

Stefan's eyes widened in alarm and shock as he stared at the older man, "What? How is that possible?"

Damon took one of the books resting on his desk and threw it across the room, "Son of a bitch!" He started pacing the length of the room as his head worked a mile a minute trying to figure out how they could have been so blind as to miss what was under their noses the entire time.

Alaric shook his head in complete astonishment, "I have no idea; I don't know how they pulled that one. Born and raised in New Orleans, nobody knew about Elijah's ties to the Bratva, nobody."

"And how did he manage to stay with the Gilberts?" Damon asked.

"No clue, Damon!"

"Damn it!" he shouted again. His body almost vibrated with the force of his anger. Stefan shook his head, still refusing to believe that they had let something as huge as this slip unchecked, "Are we sure of this? We ran extensive searches on him."

"I don't think you need any more proof than this," Alaric said gesturing towards the desk. Stefan walked towards it and picked up the photo that was resting on top of the folder. An unmistakable Elijah of around nine years holding Mikael Mikaelson's hand while Niklaus stood on the other side of him; his hand on the child's shoulder.

"Damn it!" Stefan whispered.

Enzo came back into the room which made Damon stop his incessant pacing, "Boss."

"Yes?"

"Grayson says Elijah is gone. He and Katherine are supposed to be travelling but it's been days since he last spoke with them." A collective sense of dread settled on the people in the room.

"Damn it Kat!" Damon shouted, once again berating himself for being so stupid. It was obvious that Kat knew something and yet he hadn't tried hard enough to learn what it was. The burning question that remained now was whether Katherine was a victim or an accomplice? "No one leaves this house. Am I understood?" his people nodded as he headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"To tell Elena," he bit out.

He was fuming as he walked up the stairs. The idea of that man anywhere near Elena, touching her or her silly crush on him was enough to make him want to kill someone. How was it possible that the Russian had been as conniving and clever as to plant a mole for such a long time. With what purpose?

The anger coursing through his veins was so strong that not even the sight of his young wife wearing the adorable cupcakes pajama shorts he loved so much was enough to abate the fire inside him

"Are you okay?" she asked as he stormed into the room and took her into his arms immediately. His hold on her was so strong Elena joked he was cutting off her air supply but he didn't budge, he buried his face in her grape-smelling hair and thanked whoever was up in heaven for the chance of having her safe in his arms, he had never been more grateful for something as he was for having her here with him right now, thankful that the son of a bitch, Elijah hadn't managed to sink his claws into her.

"Darling what is going on?" Elena asked once he pulled away and cradled her face in his hands.

"We need to talk, tesoro mio," Elena nodded as he led her towards the bed so they could sit there, she could see all his muscles were bunched up and she wondered what could be so disturbing to make him so worked up.

She sat cross legged on the bed and stared at him, he took both of her hands between his and squeezed them softly, "What is going on Damon?"

He took a deep breath and his eyes were filled with sadness and pain as he looked at her, "What I'm going to tell you is going to sound unbelievable, but it is the truth and I have the proof to show it to you. You know I've never lied to you."

Elena nodded, "Of course."

"Elijah is Klaus's half-brother. Our guess is that they've been working together for a long long time, he's the mole in your house."

Elena stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds trying to understand what her husband had just told her, "The mole? You mean… oh my God!" Elena released her hands from Damon's and stood up.

"Elena?" his voice was laced with pain as he spoke.

Elena started pacing the room agitatedly as her hands twisted nervously in front of her, "Did he kill Jeremy?"

"It's what makes sense," Damon said nodding.

Elena covered her mouth with her hand trying to contain the sob that wanted to break free, "Oh dear lord."

She didn't doubt her husband's words for a second. Despite everything that had happened, she knew that Damon would never lie to her, she trusted him more than anything, which is why she believed blindly in what he was saying.

"I'm sorry, tesoro!" he said softly as he stood up and walked towards her.

He took her in his arms as she finally surrendered herself to the despair that wanted to eat her whole, "How is this possible Damon? I've known him since I was a kid. His mom worked with us until she passed away. We've always protected them. How could they do something like that?" her voice broke down as she spoke; the idea of that kind of evil inside someone was too much for her to bear.

She guessed that in a way Katherine had been right and she was still a little girl, too naïve to live among the wolves.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her down. Her body shook with sobs as she clung to him for dear life; her small hands fisted his shirt at the front as she buried her face in his neck.

"He was Jeremy's friend, he loved him like a brother," she cried against his skin. "How could he do that?"

"There's more," Damon said and Elena wondered what could be worse than what he had just told her. "He's gone, been missing for days and Kat is with him."

Elena broke apart from him and looked at him with wide tear-stained eyes, "What?" She shook her head, "No, no no she would never do that. She would not harm Jeremy"

It was no secret that Elena and her sister didn't get along, that over the years, a rivalry had grown between them and that they had too many differences but in spite of all that, Elena knew her sister was not capable of doing something so monstrous. Katherine loved Jeremy and would never do something that could harm him.

"Then maybe he has her," he said softly as if he was talking to a wounded animal.

Her eyes were frenetic and scared as she looked at him, "Damon we have to do something, we can't let him have her," she cried.

"Don't worry about that my love. I will get your sister back," he drew her onto him and let her sob into his chest, "But I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," she whispered.

"You won't do anything reckless or stupid. You will stay put in the house for as long as I tell you." His hold on her tightened as he spoke, the idea that she could get herself in harm's way again was enough to bring him to his knees.

"Yes, yes I promise," she nodded against his chest.

Elena still couldn't fully understand what was happening. Her mind couldn't comprehend how the man she had known since she was little, the one who had played with her, joked with her, the one her brother considered one of his own could be so evil as to kill him.

And she couldn't help but make the comparison. Elijah, the man whom she had believed she loved, the one who was always kind to her and made her feel so safe, had been a monster in disguise, waiting for the right moment to attack. And Damon, the man she thought a monster and whom she at one point hated was now the one who truly protected her and had shown her more love than anyone before.

The world was truly a masquerade she thought bitterly.

"Oh Damon, this is too much," she cried against his chest and felt his hold getting tighter.

"I'm here darling, I'm here," he said softly as she cried against him.

In the months since Damon had married Elena he had experienced an entire gamut of emotions more than he had ever felt in his whole life before her, and now as he held her, feeling her pain and her sorrow, he swore to do whatever it took to protect her from the dangers of the world.

Elena Gilbert was not going to shed another tear because of the darkness in which they were trapped, the quicksand that was pulling him down, the one that he couldn't ever escape from but he would make sure that she would.

* * *

 **P.S How amazing that Ian is now the father of a little girl? I feel so happy for him and contrary to everyone else I happen to love the name they chose, I really wish them all the happiness in the world.**


	23. Hell is on earth

**HAPPY TVD FRIDAY! (Man I miss that show)**

 **THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH for still reading and for taking the time to leave a review, your passion for this story makes me so happy.**

 **As alwayas thanks to Amber because she's honesetly the best beta ever!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here"

 **-William Shakespeare-**

 **.**

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His blue eyes stared straight ahead into the calm darkness of the night as he raised a tumbler with his favorite bourbon to his lips and sipped slowly, the strong liquid burning down his throat as he swallowed.

The long awaited moment had finally arrived; thirteen years had passed since he had seen the lifeless body of his little sister covered in blood in the backseat of his father's car, thirteen long years he had waited and planned and now he was finally going to avenge her murder. He was going to bring down the man who had brought so much pain into his life as well as his wife's.

He downed the rest of the liquid in his tumbler and placed the glass on the cart next to the window. Damon turned away from the window and looked around the office that used to be his father's, how frightening this place had been to him when he was a child and how much he had longed for it once he became a man.

Alaric had been the last one to leave just a few moments ago, they had been locked in this room the whole afternoon trying to plan out the best scenario and action plan to approach Klaus's lair. Marcel had arrived guns blazing and Damon had seen the determination in his eyes ever since the minute he stepped foot into the room, there was no way Niklaus Mikaelson was coming alive from this encounter.

Damon knew that there was also a very good chance of him not making it out alive. Elena had asked him earlier that day why he had to go on the mission, if being the king meant he had subjects who could do the dirty work for him. That alone let him know how little his young bride still knew about the world he lived in, and although he felt pride each time she wanted to learn things about his life, there was a part of him that wanted to keep her untarnished.

He was the Boss, the General; he was directing his soldiers into a war knowing fully well he might not make it out alive. That's why he had spent the entire morning on the phone with Grayson Gilbert; whether he lived or died, Elena would be protected. The elder man had come through with his plan and Damon had to admit it was a good one, even though it pained him dearly because it meant in a matter of days, Elena was going to be out of his life forever.

With a sigh, Damon exited his office and headed to the only place he wanted to be at the moment, in the arms of the wife he never knew he wanted to have and yet ended up needing the most.

She was sitting on the bed with her back pressed against the headboard and a couple of pillows stashed around her. She was wearing a light pink cross-dye lace baby doll he had bought for her a couple of weeks ago, her journal propped on top of her thighs as she wrote in it furiously.

His lips lifted at the corners in a heartfelt smile as he watched her do something that until a couple of months ago had seemed so juvenile in his eyes, "Buona notte bambolina," he said as he walked further into the room.

She lifted her eyes from her journal to look at him and the sadness he saw in them broke his heart into a million pieces, "Don't go," she whispered doing nothing to hide the catch in her throat.

"You know I have to," he said as he climbed into bed with her.

She closed her journal and placed it on the nightstand before getting on her hands and knees and crawling towards him. His blue eyes immediately moved to the generous swell of her lush breasts rising in the lingerie's deep cleavage. "Let's run away!" she told him and for the briefest of seconds the offer was more than appealing to his ears, "We don't have to be here anymore, let's go, just the two of us!"

He cradled her face which was now in front of him and dropped his forehead onto hers, "You know that no matter how much I want it, I can't run away from this."

Elena sighed and moved her lower body so she could straddle him, his hands moving of their own accord to grasp her waist and pull her even closer to him, "I'm scared Damon, I don't want you to get hurt." The fear in her brown eyes almost broke him, besides his brother no one before her had ever worried for him with such intensity. "Just stay with me," her voice quivered and looking at her innocent face he realized how truly young she was.

Young enough to rebuild her life without him.

"Nothing bad is going to happen," he lied to her as he leaned in to kiss the corner of her mouth. "Don't mind your pretty head with worries about tomorrow bella mia," his nose bumped against hers softly and he felt her tightening her hold on him.

"I never want to be without you, Damon," he closed his eyes in pain at the urgency in her voice. It was as if somehow Elena was sensing the emotional upheaval in his soul and knew that something terrible was coming their way, even though she knew nothing about his plan.

"You won't!" he opened his eyes to look at the broken-hearted expression on her face, "Tu sei il sole della mia vita Elena. How could I ever walk away from you?"

"Tu sei tutto per me Damon," she said with a half-smile etched on her face.

"Bene bella mia, bene," his own lips curved in a smile before he leaned down and captured her lips with his. "Tu sei el piu grandi amore della mia vita Elena." The gasp she let out, let Damon know that she had understood what he wanted to say, "Con te voglio invecchiare… ma io so…" his voice caught in his throat and he had to take a breath in order to steady his emotions.

"I love you Damon!" Elena whispered simply.

He stroked her cheek with his fingers, "And I love you Elena Salvatore, ti amo con tutto il mio cuore." Elena closed the gap between them as her lips went to his.

He moaned into her mouth as he felt her lower body rubbing against him, awakening his desire instantly, his hands went to grip her waist once again as he moved closer to her body as if she wasn't close enough already.

Damon broke apart from their kiss and he flipped her her on her back and leaned down to worship her perfect body with his lips. He trailed down her neck peppering her skin with kisses and light bites until he reached his favorite destination; he lowered the straps of her nightwear and latched his mouth onto her rosy nipples taut with desire for him, Elena threw her head back with a moan as he feasted upon her flesh.

He kissed, sucked and touched her breasts for what seemed like ages, biting down on her nipples with just the right amount of pressure. Elena was so turned on she knew she could come only with his mouth on her breasts but Damon had other ideas. He released her and laid her down on the bed as he hovered above her, "You are so fucking beautiful cara," his eyes were hungry as they trailed downwards from the swell of her breasts to her slender waist and down further to see her glistening sex clad in sexy pink thongs. He could see how much she desired him and that made him groan with the need to plunge into her warmth.

"Damon…" Elena moaned not even knowing what she was asking of him. His hands started caressing the skin of her thighs as he inched the soft lace of her baby doll upwards, his mouth watering at the sight of her wet pussy clad in the small pink thong that hid nothing from his greedy eyes, "You are going to be the death of me," he said and she giggled remembering that it wasn't the first time he had said those exact same words to her. "Something funny Mrs. Salvatore?"

She nodded as her lips stretched into a grin, "You!" He chuckled and dipped his head to kiss her lips again. Elena helped him out of his shirt as she wanted to feel his naked skin against hers.

His pants and briefs followed and as she kneeled between his open thighs, she looked up to see his completely naked form looking like Adonis, Elena wondered how on earth had she got so lucky to have such a hunk of a man such as her husband, "Damn you're hot!" she whispered almost involuntarily and he chuckled at her.

"You like to stroke my ego don't you?" he asked.

"Amongst other things," she answered cheekily as her hands went to grasp his aching cock, a growl escaped her lips involuntarily when she felt how hard she was and she let her fingers slide up and down his steely length. He threw his head back eyes closed in bliss as he groaned and thrust his hips forward as she worked her hands around the length of him; each and every stroke making the coil in his gut tighten. His tip was glistening with pre-cum and she licked her lips almost instinctually, knowing if she didn't have him inside him right now she would probably combust, "I need you Damon!" His eyes shot open at the neediness on her voice and a smile stretched on his face as he saw her below him, wanton and ready only for him.

His hand removed her night dress and lowered her underwear in an almost torturous way before he braced himself on his elbows above her, his member placed right at her entrance but not pushing yet, "Do you love me Elena?" he asked his voice raspy with need.

"I do," she answered.

"I want to hear it," he said as he took his cock with one hand and dragged it along the aching flesh between her legs. Elena hissed at the contact and dug her nails into his hips urging him to push into her. "Tell me Elena," he said gliding his swollen head over the wet hot skin of her folds but not pushing inside when she didn't tell him what he wanted to hear. She was going mad with need trying to push forward into him, writhing desperately.

"You're such a jerk" Elena muttered as she raised her hips so he could sink into her.

"Tell me," he repeated as he teased her with his fully aroused cock once again.

"You already know I love you, Damon," she raised her hands to capture his lips with hers, "I love you, I love you," she whispered against his mouth before he plunged all the way inside her. "Oh Damn!" she gasped into his mouth as he pushed into her slowly. She panted with pleasure as she felt him inside her stretching her, her whole body tingled with each thrust. Elena thought she would combust with the assault of pleasure on so many different levels, his thick girth inside her, his talented fingers teasing her clit and playing with her nipples. The onslaught of sensations almost causing her to pass out, she was shaking and trembling with pleasure as her inner walls clenched him inside.

Her hands went to rest on his back as his forehead dropped onto hers, their tongues danced around each other and the wet sound of their tongues meeting filled their ears.

His hips slammed against hers and Elena's eyes almost rolled out of her sockets at the feel of his bare skin inside her, "You feel so fucking perfect," he whispered into her mouth as if he had somehow read her mind, "You are perfect for me."

They stared at each other as he moved in and out of her, their breath mingling into one steamy hiss as they whimpered with intense pleasure, Elena could feel the imminent orgasm building inside her but refused to look away, she was lost in his eyes as she gave her body to him. They both moaned at the feeling of their bodies fusing with each other, she was so hot, wet and tight for him and his cock felt so hard and thick inside her as he hit all the right spots making her scream in pleasure.

Damon slowed his moments as he let his fingers slid over her clit repeatedly, she began to writhe as he picked up speed, the slapping sound of their damp skin rubbing against each other as they moved together towards ecstasy resonated in the room.

Damon was making love to her and the emotions inside her body were so strong she wanted to weep; she wanted to stay like this with him for the rest of her days. Just the two of them in the safe cocoon of their room.

"Damon…"

"I love you," he whispered and her eyes couldn't stay open anymore, she threw her head back as her orgasm swept over her with more force than ever before, her body shook and heart pounded violently into her chest as her vision burst into a kaleidoscope of colours. Her walls clenched around him sending him into his own powerful climax as her nails raked down his back and forced him closer to her.

The waves subsided as they held each other, their bodies shaking with the force of their lovemaking and him still buried inside her as their mouths found each other again and they kissed until their lips were aching and raw.

He pulled out of her and rolled onto his back dragging her to rest on his chest. As the haze of pleasure subsided and reality came crashing back, Elena burst into tears in his arms.

"I'm so afraid Damon," she cried against his naked chest. He held her tightly and kissed her forehead over and over as she unloaded everything inside her worried heart into the comfort his arms provided.

"It's going to be okay tesoro, everything is going to be okay."

"You won't leave me?"

"Didn't I tell you once you could never get away from me? 'I will hunt you down until the ends of the earth my love'."

"I love you so much Damon!"

"I love you too tesoro mio, you won my heart without me knowing it. I will always love you, Elena!"

And he held her as the night crept even darker around them and impending doom settled upon them. He held her as she cried till her tears had exhausted her small body. Her naked skin pressed against him as her eyelids drifted shut and her breathing evened out.

"Forgive me my dear, please forgive me," he whispered into the quietness of the night as he stared at the peaceful form of his wife in his arms. The wife he never wanted to love but had fallen desperately in love with anyway.

The only woman in the world he had ever loved and the only one he would love. He wished for things to be different and for a chance to do it all over again but he knew that wishes and dreams weren't made for people like him, so he buried his face into her hair and let the comfort her arms provided, lull him to sleep.

He was going to war tomorrow but tonight he wanted to sleep in the arms of the woman he loved without a single care in the world.

The next day they stood in the parlor holding each other as men in black climbed into the black suv parked outside. Fear kept nagging at Elena as she breathed in the coffee scent her husband always seemed to carry around.

"I feel like an army wife," she muttered against his chest and felt a chuckle vibrating through his body.

"You are… kind of," he answered before he placed a finger underneath her chin and forced her face up to meet his, "Everything is going to be okay."

"I really hope so," she whispered. Although Elena had wanted Klaus dead ever since she had discovered that he was the one responsible for her brother's murder and had longed to see his body on the ground, she had an unexplainable feeling of trepidation about this mission as if something bad was going to happen and she didn't want to let go of Damon.

"I'll see you in a bit, sweetheart," he told her before leaning down and kissing her like it was the first time and as if it was the last. It was a slow sweet kiss, filled with a gentle passion as he pulled in her bottom lips between his teeth. His tongue sliding inside to tangle with hers as they explored each other never wanting to let go. She clung to him as their lips met again and again, treasuring those moments with him in case they would be the last.

"I love you!" she whispered against his mouth before parting from him and placing the black rosary she had been holding onto his neck.

"What is this?"

"It's been mine since forever," she told him. It had been a gift from her grandmother and it was the one Elena used every time she needed comfort. Damon eyed the object around his neck with a dumbstruck expression.

"You know I'm way beyond saving right?" he said trying to joke as he eyed the object.

"Don't be a dick!"

He wasn't what you would call a religious man, yet he went to mass every Sunday like it was expected and followed every tradition of the catholic church because it was what his people expected of him, but he never really thought much about God and the whole hell or heaven conundrum.

Because if you thought about it? How could a man like him expect any blessings from God? But now as his wife placed the holy object around his neck he felt a strange sense of comfort and thanked her for being able to provide it to him.

"I love you!" he told her back. It was still too new and strange for him to hear himself uttering those words but with the imminent doom hovering over them, nothing was going to stop him from saying it to her. "Time to go," he placed a parting kiss on her forehead and with one last look walked out of the parlor.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Caroline clinging to both Stefan and her mother, who had insisted that she would also accompany them on this mission, Elena had nothing but admiration for that strong woman.

"Promise me you'll be careful," Caroline told her fiancé as her eyes filled with tears, tears she didn't allow herself to shed. "Be safe Stefan" she caressed his face as he leaned into her.

"Don't worry, you can't get rid of me so soon," a half smile appeared on his lips before he leaned down to kiss his fiancée goodbye. And as she watched her blonde friend say goodbye to her family she felt her throat clogging with emotion.

"I'm so sorry Lena," she heard Bonnie's whisper and felt her hand gripping hers, Elena was greatly comforted by having her childhood friend next to her and remembered that this was for her brother, because the man who murdered him had to pay.

Elena wondered briefly in which moment had she let those vindictive thoughts into her head and when had she become so bloodthirsty for revenge.

"There's a big chance I die today," Elena heard Enzo's voice and moved her eyes to the door to watch him walk in with a determined look in his eyes. "And I really don't want to go without doing this at least once," he walked towards Bonnie and took her in his arms, dipping her as his lips found hers.

Caroline's audible gasp and Stefan's chuckle was the only thing that could be heard as Enzo kissed the young woman before going away. "This does looks like a war movie," Caroline muttered and even Elena had to laugh at that.

"See you later love," Enzo whispered against her mouth before releasing her and walking out the door.

"You can't ask me not to comment on that," Caroline said making a very shocked Bonnie raise her eyes towards her.

"I had no idea…" the girl said touching her lips.

Both Caroline and Elena rolled their eyes at her, "Yeah right!"

"Well this has been very enlightening but now I must go," Stefan announced before kissing his girlfriend goodbye one last time and giving a hug to Elena, only to walk out the door after that.

The minute the door closed after him Bonnie turned to Elena and looked at her with something akin to fear in her eyes, "Elena I swear to you I haven't done…"

"Its fine, Bonnie!" the brunette reassured her friend, "I wouldn't expect you to be alone forever," she squeezed Bonnie's friend and smiled at her, "It's okay!"

"Was it good?" Caroline asked somehow still managing to be cheerful in such a dark moment, "I bet it was good." The three girls laughed and walked together into the living room so that Bonnie could start telling them everything that had been going on between her and Enzo, and for a few minutes they could forget what was happening outside those doors.

Something wasn't right. Damon could feel it in his bones as they approached the warehouse where Klaus was supposed to be. A couple of men dressed completely in black guarded the perimeter but not enough to be protecting the boss of the Bratva.

Damon made a sign with his hands commanding the people behind them to stop walking and for the remaining people in the SUVs to stay put. He closed his eyes and stretched his neck as he concentrated on the sounds from across the field, something was definitely not right.

"He's not here," Alaric whispered close to his ear as he approached him from behind, "They fooled us." Damon's jaw clenched as the realization washed over him. Klaus had orchestrated the whole thing to lure him in and like a damn fool he had walked straight into the trap.

How had he allowed the the Bratva man to fool him? At what point had he let his defenses down for this farce to happen? His mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Elena and her safety that he had allowed his biggest enemy to play him. She clouded his judgment and in a scenario as dangerous as the one he lived in he couldn't afford to be this sloppy.

"Damon watch out!" Enzo shouted as the first sound of guns was heard. The blue-eyed man threw himself onto the floor before firing the guns he was holding. They moved further into the property as bullets rained from everywhere, the Russians had set them up and now they had to find a way to make it out of that hellfire alive.

"That son of a bitch!" Damon heard Stefan mutter but couldn't even look back at his brother since he had to put all his concentration on staying alive. He was flanked by Enzo on one side and Marcel on the other as they put bullets in Klaus's people.

Damon didn't believe Klaus was inside but since there weren't enough men to defend the place they walked closer to the entrance to kill the remaining men who were hiding inside. The Italian boss didn't even have time to blink before he felt the pull of his shirt backwards and fell to the floor as his brother covered him with his body. An explosion went off destroying the warehouse and killing Klaus's remaining men, they were close enough that he felt the heat brazing his body as the flames devoured everything in its wake.

"Damn it!" Damon murmured as Stefan moved away from him and he looked around to see the fire licking everything in its path. A couple of his men were wounded but not severely enough to be incapacitated since they hadn't ventured further inside to be in the fire's path.

"Let's go!" Damon shouted as he signaled for his men to retreat. His body was buzzing with adrenaline and anger as he walked back into his van with Marcel and Enzo behind him.

"Don't worry Damon, I will kill him," said Marcel, referring to the man who had given them false information about Klaus's location. They climbed into their vehicles and headed back to the house to regroup and come up with a new plan of action.

As they drove back an indeterminate sense of dread started crawling up Damon's skin, and with every mile they came closer to the house an unbearable fear clenched his insides like a vine strangling him, the feeling of foreboding was making it difficult to even breathe. His heart was beating wildly against his chest as he stepped out of the vehicle and walked towards the pathway to the entrance.

"Let me be wrong," he muttered under his breath before he opened the door to find his greatest fear come true. His first mistake had been to take Enzo with him and not leave him behind to protect the remaining people in the house.

His shoe hit a gas bomb as he walked into the house and heard the crunching footsteps of his brother running towards him from behind "What happened?!" Stefan shouted as they entered and saw the dead bodies of the men who had stayed behind.

"How did this happen?" Damon asked before he took off running towards the stairs, the fear was almost crippling, but he didn't allow himself to slow down.

When he walked inside his bedroom he found Bonnie passed out on the floor but no trace of his wife or sister-in-law for that matter. They searched every nook and cranny of the house, Lily and Bonnie were the only two people remaining alive in the house, and Elena and Caroline where nowhere to be found.

"Damn you Klaus," Damon muttered as he looked around and saw the devastation wreaked upon his house. He had taken her, Klaus had taken his wife and he had no idea where to find them now.

"Damon! Damon…!" he heard Stefan shouting at him but his mind wasn't able to acknowledge anything. He was stuck in the moment in which Elena had asked him not to go, if only he had listened to her she would still be here. He shouldn't have been so foolish.

Once again, he had allowed Klaus to take the one thing that mattered the most in the world to him.

* * *

 **ITALIAN TRANSLATION**

 _Tu sei il sole della mia vita_ \- You are the sunshine of my life

 _Tu sei tutto per me_ \- you are everything to me

 _Bene bella mia, bene_ \- good, my beautiful girl, good

 _Tu sei el piu grandi amore della mia_ vita - you are the biggest love of my life

 _Con te voglio invecchiare… ma io so_ … I want to grow old with you ... but I know

 _ti amo con tutto il mio cuore_ \- I love you with all my heart


	24. The Game of thrones

**Hello!**

 **As always I want to thank you guys for reading and taking the time to review the story, I always love to hear what you have to say. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you like the new chapter, things are getting ticker!**

 **Also I want to thank Amber for editing this, she's amazing and I'm so grateful she takes the time to help me out.**

 **Here we go!**

* * *

"Why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones?"

 **George R.R Martin**

 **.**

 **.**

Elena groaned and felt her head lolling to the side as she struggled to be fully conscious of her surroundings but she kept drifting in and out. She desperately tried to pry her eyes open but her temples were aching and her throat was dry, her whole body felt stiff, it she felt like ages had passed before she could wake up fully and keep her eyes open.

Fragments of earlier events rushed back to her as her eyes scanned the darkened room in which she was currently tied to a chair. A surge of panic went through her body as she moved her hands trying to fight against her restraints.

"There's no use. I've been trying for at least twenty minutes," Elena heard the familiar voice and her head immediately whipped to the side to see the face of one of her best friends. She felt a wave of relief at realizing she wasn't alone and Caroline was okay.

"What happened?" Elena asked. The last thing she remembered was hearing noises in the house and stepping into the hallway to see what was going on.

"The Russian!" Caroline bit out with a hint of venom in her voice, her upper lip curling in disgust at the mention of their captors. "They used some kind of gas."

"Damon…"

"I'm sure they're fine Lena, don't worry," the blonde's voice had softened as she gave her friend a sympathetic smile, "They will come for us."

Elena was just about to respond when the noise of the metal door opening made them both turn their gazes to the front. A switch was flicked on and the room was instantly illuminated. Elena examined her environs trying to get a clue that could help them escape, but the room was completely bare except for the chairs on which they were bound.

"I'm glad to see you're both awake," the man who had entered the room spoke in a thick accent and his lips stretched into a smile that was both charming and spooky at the same time. "I was starting to think it might have been too much gas"

The man who Elena assumed was Nicklaus walked towards them. He was blonde and tall, his eyes were a pale blue and held a ferocity that Elena had never seen before. "How long have we been here?" she asked.

"For about half a day, give or take," he said with a smirk.

Elena's heart started beating wildly in her chest, she could only imagine how furious and scared Damon must be if they had been missing for so long. She felt a longing stronger than anything she had ever felt before at the thought of her husband alone at home, she wanted to feel his warm skin against hers and his soft lips on hers as they embraced each other never to let go.

"Where are we?" she asked as he stood in front of them.

He made a _tsk_ sound with his tongue and threw her a look full of evil glee, "Why ask questions you won't get an answer to." His attention was quickly diverted towards the blonde girl sitting next to Elena. His eyes were full of hunger as he looked at her, "You are so beautiful!" he said as he leaned down and traced a finger over the length of her cheek.

The blonde recoiled and spat on his face, "Don't touch me!"

He chuckled as he leaned in even more and ran his nose along the side of her neck, "And feisty, I knew from the moment I saw you that I couldn't allow that filthy Salvatore to have you," Caroline threshed in her seat until he backed away with an amused laugh. The girl's jaw was clenched in complete rage as she stared daggers at the man as he moved away from her.

"What are you going to do with us?" Elena asked again, wanting to divert the attention of the Russian from her friend.

His amused eyes moved towards her again, "Now don't be curios Elena, remember what happened to the cat," he said in a gleeful murmur before turning around and walking towards the door.

Elena's turned to her best friend who smiled reassuringly at her, "It's going to be okay Lena," she mouthed and for a moment Elena almost believed her.

The door opened again and the girls realized Nicklaus hadn't left the room but instead had let someone else inside. Elena's breath caught in her throat as someone who she had known her entire life walked in sporting an entitled smile and a very expensive looking suit.

"So it was true" she said in a horrified whisper and her eyes went stony as she stared at him disillusioned. Elijah, the man who once upon a time she had believed herself to be in love with, stood in front of her now, her actual captor and the only monster in her story.

He chuckled as he crossed his arms in front of his body. Klaus standing a few feet behind them, looked thoroughly entertained by the scene in front of him, "If I'm honest I'm surprised it took you guys so long to figure it out. We never thought we would be able to pull it off so easily."

Elena's blood turned hot in her veins at the sight of him, smug and victorious in front of her, "How could you?! We gave you everything!" she shouted in utter rage, "You were part of our family… I cared for you!"

He threw his head back and let out a sardonic laugh, the sound chilling her insides, "Cared for me? You threw me away the minute Salvatore put his eyes on you."

Elena felt her eyes filling with angry tears as she looked at him, "That's not true," she bit out.

He gave her a hard glare, "Lie to yourself all you want Elena."

Elena closed her eyes trying to regain control of her emotions whilst her fingers kept trying to find a way to undo the rope that bound her hands, "Jeremy was your friend; he loved you like a brother," her voice sounded defeated as she spoke.

Elijah moved an inch closer to her while his brother remained behind, "No he didn't, none of you ever did. You looked down on me like I was trash on your shoes," he spat out and the man Elena was looking at right now didn't bear any resemble to the man she had grown up next to and had once thought she loved, "The Mikaelsons are the only family I have, my loyalty is only towards them. Always and forever," Elijah turned his eyes back to Klaus who nodded in his direction.

Admiration and love shone in the younger man's eyes, a look she had seen Stefan give his brother many a times, "Why…?"

Klaus finally moved from where he was and approached them with slow and graceful steps, a predator prowling after its prey. "Did you know dear Elena that your loving father is the one responsible for my brother Henric's death? He was only fifteen at the time, a boy with his whole life ahead of him until your father shot him straight in the head," he smirked when he saw the shocked expression on her face.

"Bratva blood is never spilled in vain you see. I had to make sure you all would eventually pay," his lips stretched into an eerie smile and Elena felt like throwing up.

"And revenge is better served cold," Elijah added as he looked at his brother then Elena.

Elena felt nausea and bile crawl up her throat as she thought of all the moments she had shared with this man while growing up, how she had trusted him so blindly and how he had fooled her so easily. Because after all what did she truly know about him? There was always something about him that seemed so unattainable, so private. Now she knew what it was, "So all this time you were working with him… everything that…?"

He nodded excitedly, like a kid wanting to boast about his great adventures, "Missing supplies, missions gone wrong. The same trouble with the Mexican cartel that put you in Damon's path… that was all me," he grimaced. "Though I might have made a mistake with that one, but yes every single obstacle your father met along the way was because it was me who put it there."

"Even Jeremy…?" her voice trailed off as memories of her dead brother's body came back to her.

He sighed, "I must admit that wasn't planned, I mean it was planned but not for it to be so soon. He caught me and there was no other choice."

Caroline sounded repulsed as she bit out, "You're disgusting…both of you are!"

Klaus eyes went to her and he smiled, "And you are adorable love!"

"You make me sick Elijah… how could you look us in the eye, dine with us when you knew…"

"How could I? Yeah that's a good question," he said scornfully, "How did I have the stomach to watch the face of the man responsible for my brother's death, every fucking day? How could I grow up next to the guilty ones who had spilled the blood of my people?" He leaned down towards her until all she could see was his chocolate gaze, murderous and lethal, "Humiliation after humiliation I endured and then the one thing I wanted, the only thing I was willing to take for myself," he raised a hand towards her, "Was handed over to the man hunting my family."

His fingers stroked her cheek and she flinched backwards, "Don't…"

He smiled coldly before moving forward and pressing a kiss onto the corner of her mouth, "No use in resisting sweet Elena, you and I are going to be together forever," he straightened up and walked away with his brother on his side, leaving Elena and Caroline with a feeling of cold dread wrapping itself around their hearts, a cold so deep it chilled their bones.

* * *

Damon shut the door of the ratty office with a bang, Elena had been gone for over twenty four hours and every single minute had been a torture for him. His blood sizzled in his veins at the thought of his wife at the mercy of the Russian, his filthy hands on her. Images of her in pain agonized him and fear and anger in equal parts coursed through his body as he paced around in frustration until suddenly it was too much for him to bear, he picked up a vase from the desk and hurled it across the office in complete rage, the crystal shattering as it hit the cream colored wall and broke into million pieces. The thought of anyone touching her or hurting her was unbearable to him, each second that passed without her seemed interminable.

"You need to cool it off!" Alaric muttered harshly as he walked into the office as well.

"Cool it off? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"You need to get your head straight and into the game damn it!" Damon clenched his jaw at the words of his friend. He knew Alaric was right; he hadn't been able to think straight since Klaus had taken Elena. This was Damon's biggest fear, he had always known that it was only a matter of time before his affection for Elena would come and bite him in the ass, steal his senses and ability to be a cold blooded operator and inevitably put her in danger, he had always feared that his love would be a problem.

"I can't Ric… I can't!" Damon slumped into the brown fabric couch feeling more defeated than ever before. The Russian had moved the floor from under him and he had no clue on how to regain his balance.

"Chill out Damon," his best friend sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know you're feeling desperate right now," his voice was soothing as he spoke, "But I need The Iceman back, Elena needs the Iceman."

Images of his wife appeared in his mind; her sweet laughter, her warm eyes, the scent of her hair and the softness of her hands as she caressed his face. Without realizing when or how it had happened, he had let this one woman change him, she had awoken things in him he never knew he had inside. In some degree she had softened him, Damon was man enough to admit it, she had warmed his insides and unfortunately now that was proving to be his demise.

He should have seen the signs; he should have known it was all a trap. The Damon he was a year ago wouldn't have made such a colossal mistake, wouldn't have been so sloppy. He had let his guard down for her and now she was suffering because of it.

His friend was right; in order to save his wife, he had to once again become the ruthless man that had earned the fear and respect of every member of the Cosa Nostra. Elena needed that monster to rise again and if unleashing him was the price to pay to have her safe and sound he would gladly pay it.

"Come on kid," Alaric squeezed his shoulder, "We have some answers to get." Damon nodded and both men stood up and headed out in direction of the spine-chilling basement of the warehouse in which they were currently operating out of.

His men had managed to drag out one of Klaus's men alive from the fiery explosion. Said man was now hanging upside down from the ceiling as tears streamed down his face, Damon felt disgusted at the sight of the him.

The place reeked and if he had been anyone other than Damon Salvatore, the Boss, it would have been overwhelming but not to him. The man had pissed himself and was covered in dirt and blood, resulting in a combination nauseous to anyone who got close enough, but what disgusted Damon wasn't his stench, what sickened him was the way the man was whimpering and begging for release.

"If you weren't strong enough you shouldn't have taken the vow, boy," his voice was chilly as he walked closer to him, the man's scared eyes found his icy ones and his whimpers became louder.

Pansy ass idiots, man of his would have never cried or begged for his life, his men died with honor.

"My people here tell me you're being reluctant to cooperate," Damon took hold of one of the knives resting on top of a surgical looking table placed near the upside down man, "Why is that Pavel?" Damon's eyes moved towards his brother and Enzo who were resting against the wall across from him, arms crossed above their chest and steely gazes following his movements.

"He will kill my wife… If I speak…he will kill her," the man shouted, his words barely understandable as he choked on his own saliva and the blood oozing out of his cut lips.

Damon laughed then, a sound as chilly as frostbite, "You think keeping your mouth shout will keep her safe?" The Italian boss gestured for Alaric to move closer, "Sasha is a very beautiful woman, frankly it surprises me that she agreed to marry a man like you." The man's eyes were frantic as they looked at Damon, his body fighting against his restraints, doing more harm than good from the position he was put in. "You think your boss could be more brutal than me?" Damon said as a smirk stretched across his face while Alaric handed him a manila envelope, "You've been here merely twenty-four hours and I already know where she is and what she is doing," Damon pulled out a set of pictures showing a pretty blonde engaged in her daily activities and revealed them to the man whose cries became more aggravated.

"Please, please," he started begging once again. Damon threw the photographs on the floor with a repulsed growl and pulled out his knife, he took hold of the man's hand and jammed the pointy end into the inside of one of his fingernails.

The Russian's bloodcurdling scream resonated in the room, "I won't ask again Pavel. Where is the rat of your boss hiding?"

"I don't know, please I don't know!"

Damon laughed that frosty laugh again as Enzo moved towards him holding a strange device in his hands, "One more time with feeling Pavel." The blue eyed man clipped the device on one of the other man's hands and leaned closer until his mouth was at the level of his ear, "Where is your boss hiding?"

"I don't know!"

"Wrong answer!" Damon screeched before pulling on the man's finger and removing his nail in one clean go, the screams were so loud and the scene so brutal that even Stefan had to wince at the savagery of it all. "Next time it's going to be your wife."

Damon's eyes turned almost black as he clipped the object onto another nail. There was nothing but icy coldness in his expression and in that moment there was no doubt that the monster had come out to play.

* * *

"It's futile of you to refuse food," Klaus said as he sighed. He had been trying to feed them for the last ten minutes but both woman refused to eat anything the Russians bought for them, "By all means have it your way." The blonde man stood up exasperated as he threw the dishes across the room, the crashing sound startling Elena as she watched the ceramic break on the floor.

"Why do you want us here?" Caroline questioned.

"I thought it was obvious," Klaus said with a smirk as he moved closer towards the blonde, "You and I are meant to be together and my love-struck brother wants Elena here," he gestured towards the brunette, "Call me poetic but I think there's something whimsical about taking not only the Salvatore's business but their women as well."

Caroline spit on his face in complete outrage and instead of getting angry the blonde devil started to laugh, "I love your spunk sweetheart," he said as he cleaned his face with the edge of his shirt.

"You make me sick," she growled in his direction which only seemed to amuse him further, "Stefan will come for me, you know he will. And you won't be able to get away from their wrath once they find you."

"Whose wrath? Your brother-in-law's?" he asked and something in his tone made Elena's blood run cold, "How would he do that when he's six feet under?"

Caroline's voice wavered as she directed her worried gaze to her captor, "What are you talking about?"

Klaus chuckled, his eyes sparkling with something akin to delight, "Oh, I forgot to mention that little detail? How rude of me," he took a hand to his chest in a mocking gesture and then leaned down as if he was going to tell them the biggest secret ever, "As of yesterday The Salvatore brothers are no more."

Elena shook her head vehemently, "You're lying."

"Oh no sweetheart I would never lie about that," he said with a devious smirk. "They went to the warehouse to find me, spoiler alert I wasn't there, something went wrong and then poof they both exploded in a thousand million pieces alongside every single man they took with them"

"That's not true," Elena's voice trembled as she felt her eyes filling with tears but she refused to let them drop. She was not going to let him know he had broken her, she couldn't. She could not even let her mind go to the dark place that it was slowly being pulled into, she could not imagine a universe without Damon in it, his arms wrapped around her, his face nestled on the side of her neck, his warm body flush against her as they slept together. His blue eyes and his love, she thought of the myriad of emotions between them, her journey to him from hate to love, from love to lust from lust to truth. And the truth was that she could not imagine an Elena without a Damon.

He let out a cold laugh, "Oh isn't it? And how do you know that my dear?"

She gritted her teeth as she stared at the devilish man in front of her, "Damon isn't dead, I would know it. I would feel it."

She heard the words the man spoke and a part of her knew it was very likely that he was telling her the truth but she couldn't let herself believe it, because if she did then she would crumble completely and there was something deep inside her that was telling her Damon wasn't dead, he couldn't be. Their love story was not going to end this way.

"Oh how sweet!" he said while giving her a sympathetic look, "Don't worry you will get over him, there's no doubt you're still so young and naïve Elena and if we think about it you're as stupid as your sister."

"What?" a frown appeared on her face and seconds later they heard the door of the warehouse being opened. Elena squinted her eyes trying to see who had entered and her heart almost stopped in her chest at the sight.

"Oh look, here she is in person, the sister we were talking about," Klaus chortled in wicked delight as he clapped his hands together.

Elijah Mikaelson was walking towards them dragging a very distressed and crying Katherine Gilbert, by the hair. In that moment Elena knew that her sister had gotten into something way bigger than her and she wasn't sure if there was still a chance to help her.


	25. Endings are the saddest part

**Hey there!**

 **I hope you're all doing okay and as always thank you so much for taking the time to read and review.**

 **Also a huge thanks to Amber for being the most amazing beta ever, I could never thank her enough.**

 **Now, I must warn you evil cliffhanger here and honestly there's a bunch of angst coming aaaand we are getting to the end of this, this has been my longest story and I'm so proud of it!**

 **Love you all!**

* * *

"The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them"

 **-The Vampire Diaries-**

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Growing up Elena had always been the princess of her family, spoiled, pampered and protected by everyone, showered in affection and love. She was the baby hence everyone's need to protect her, everyone but her big sister Katherine. For some reason, Elena couldn't quite understand or explain to anyone, she had never got along with her sister. Kat and her were as different as night and day; where Elena came off as shy and innocent, Katherine appeared bold and jaded.

Elena had always felt that her sister resented her somehow and their issues got aggravated even further when the younger one married the man Katherine wanted for herself. But in spite of all their differences and the fact that they never were close to each other, Elena felt her gut clenching in fear and her heart beating wildly as she watched Elijah dragging her whimpering sister behind him.

"Don't hurt her!" she shouted as she eyed the faint bruises on her sister's cheeks.

Klaus let out a throaty laugh, a sound Elena was starting to loathe, "How kind of you to feel sorry for your sister especially when she couldn't give a damn about you."

Katherine shook her head passionately, "That's not true Lena!"

"Quiet!" Elijah hissed as he let the girl fall into the chair Klaus had placed facing Elena and Caroline. The younger man kept his hold on the girl's hair as he eyed Elena and a twisted smirk appeared on his face. Elena reproached herself for her stupidity at failing to see the evil in that man.

Klaus started pacing behind the chair Katherine was seated in, "Do you want to know the story? I bet you're dying to," he addressed Elena, as a smirk as twisted and evil as his brother's, materialized on his face.

Caroline snorted, "We don't really want to hear you talk but it seems you love the sound of your own voice so much I'm sure you'll regale us with this tale anyway," Elena's eyes widened at her friend's words as she realized without a doubt that her friend was made of steel and it would take a lot for the Russian to break her.

He stopped his pacing as his eyes darkened while looking at the blonde beauty, "Such a pretty mouth you have Caroline, I'm going to enjoy fucking it,"

She let out a disgusted sound, "Go to hell!"

Klaus released another one of those ear shattering laughs before he resumed his pacing, "I know you're wondering what your evil sister is doing here? At some point you must have wondered if she was working with Elijah."

Katherine let out a whimper as her teary eyes went to her sister, "I'm so sorry, Elena!" the younger sister was at a loss for words because never in her life had she seen Katherine in such a state, she had always seen her sister as a force of nature, wild and strong, and to see her reduced to a crying girl made her heart shatter.

Klaus made his trademark _tsking_ sound as he stopped behind Katherine and bent so that his mouth was next to her ear, "Such a delusional girl. With big dreams of being a Mafia Queen."

Elijah laughed at this, "Ambition can be your biggest enemy sometimes."

Klaus straightened up and those fierce blue eyes looked at Elena again, "She sought me out you know? After your boy toy rejected her she found me and said she wanted to be Russian royalty."

Elijah released the girl's hair and caressed her cheeks with his hand in a gesture so eerie it made Elena's skin prickle, "To be fair to her she was smarter than all of you. Figured my secret before any one of you could."

Elena's eyes were accusatory as she looked at her older sister, "You knew?" She remembered how Damon had shared with her that it was a possibility that Katherine was working with Elijah but never in a million years had she contemplated the idea of her sister being in so deep as to betray her own blood.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried while looking down.

Elijah gripped her chin and forced her face upwards so she could stare into her sister's eyes, "Your ambition blinded you my dear, don't deny it. You wanted all of it for yourself like always. But don't believe her to be completely evil, after I killed Jeremy she wanted out, didn't expect that one!"

Elena felt like the air had been sucker punched out of her, her whole body was trembling as she regarded her sister. Images of her brother's dead body plagued her mind, "How could you?"

The oldest sister shook her head fiercely as tears streamed down her face, "I didn't know Elena I swear," her eyes were pleading, something Elena had never seen before, "I'm so sorry!"

Klaus shook his head as he watched the exchange between the sisters with amusement, "But one thing you should all learn is once you're in, you can never get out," his jaw clenched as he spoke, "You were ours since the minute you reached out to me, dear Katherine, and you were useful only until we needed you."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you… but I was so scared," Katherine choked out between sobs, the feeling of impending doom was lurking above her and she tried her best to let her sister know how sorry she truly felt for the way things had turned out, "I never wanted for him to get hurt Elena, I swear."

Klaus ignored the sister's cries, "And I am sorry to tell you this but you are no longer of use to us." In what seemed like slow motion Klaus reached back into the holster and pulled out a gun. Elena's eyes widened as she watched him raise the weapon and pull it against her sister's head. "Goodbye Katherine!" he smirked before firing and ending the young girl's life in less than a second.

Elena and Caroline screamed in horror as the body of Katherine slumped to the ground, a very shocked Elijah watched in complete dismay as the blood poured out of her and soaked the gray cement floors.

"Oh my God! Oh God!" Elena cried with unbearable grief and she felt as if there was a hole gaping open in her chest where her heart used to be. It didn't matter if they were close or not, she was still her blood, her family, she couldn't believe her mother and father would have to bury another child. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore as she watched the body of her sister awash in her own blood. She knew that no matter how long she lived the image of that evil man blowing her sister's head off was going to remain forever etched in her brain, "Oh dear lord!"

They were never best of friends, never shared clothes or gossip; there was never any sisterly advice or late night talks. But when she saw the lifeless body of her sister on the ground, she felt devastated. Her memory took her back to when she was five and Katherine had put make up on her face and dressed her in a frilly tulle pink dress. She had paraded Elena in front of her parents and Jeremy like she was a doll, barely eight herself at that time Katherine had proclaimed Elena to be her own personal doll and she remembered the feeling of joy that her sister was so proud of her.

"I love you sister," she whispered very softly to make sure none of them heard her. No matter what happened between them or the mistakes she had made, Katherine was her sister and for Elena there was nothing more important than her family.

"This was not part of the plan," Elijah hissed at his brother who only dismissed his anger with a wave of his hand.

"Relax little brother, I didn't realize you had become so attached to her."

Elijah seemed taken aback at his brother's words, "It's not that… but…"

Klaus shrugged, "She was no longer of use to us."

Elena watched both the Russian men with nothing but hatred, the emotion was so strong it was burning inside her veins. Her hands tied behind her back tried their best to release themselves, she managed to loosen up the ties slightly and she was not going to stop until she made it because there was no way she was dying in this hellhole at the hands of these cockroaches.

Elena said in calm steady voice, "I will kill you for this!"

"Really? Damn I guess I should really be afraid then," Klaus said while eyeing the girl and chuckling, "We truly did her a favor; the poor girl could barely live with herself because of all the guilt she was feeling. It was disgusting."

Caroline looked between the two brothers with disgust, "You're monsters - both of you are."

Elijah walked closer to her, composing himself from the shock that was Katherine's death, "Funny you say that, considering whom you were planning to marry and who your mother is." The older man said with a small smile and a glint in his hazel eyes, "I guess it all depends on the eye of the beholder."

Klaus chuckled, "This is a dog eat dog world sweet Caroline," he said softly. "We just happen to be the most dangerous of the monsters."

"Go to hell!" she bit out.

"I'm sure I'll be heading that way someday but not before enjoying some of my time here with you," Klaus walked towards the fierce blonde, making his brother step aside so he could stand in front of her, "Katherine was not cut out to be a mafia queen but you… you are, my love!" he took a knife out of his pocket and ripped the ropes as he gripped her tightly by the shoulders.

"No! let me go!" Caroline shouted and thrashed against him, but to no avail, since he was much stronger than her and had her subdued since the beginning.

"Leave her alone!" Elena shouted as she looked with panic as the blonde man held her friend tightly, "Leave her alone!"

"Quite frankly I'm tired of hearing your voice," Klaus said before slapping her so hard her lip started to bleed."

"Stop it!" Caroline shouted as she flailed in his arms.

"You and me are going to have so much fun tonight, love," he whispered close to her ear as he started dragging her back. Not even for a second did the blonde stop fighting against her captor.

"No, no! Let her go," Elena watched in pure helplessness as he dragged her friend through the metal door on the other side of the room, "No, please."

Elijah cursed under his breath and directed his attention towards the brunette still tied to a chair, "Shush Elena; you don't want to get on his bad side."

Her eyes were wild as she looked at him, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"It's all going to be all right, sweetheart," he moved towards her and caressed her face with his fingers, "You'll get used to it soon enough."

Elena shook her head trying to move away from his touch, she remembered for how long she had craved it and now she couldn't be more disgusted by it, "I will never get used to this life."

His eyes became hard as he looked down at her, "You got used to Salvatore didn't you," resentment laced his voice as he spoke.

"Don't you dare compare yourself to him. He would have never hurt me this way."

He chuckled while shaking his head, "You're so naïve dear Elena!"

In the blink of an eye and without Elijah realizing what was happening, Elena sprung up from her chair and lunged herself at him, scratching his face. He tried to pull her away from himself and reach into his back to pull out his gun, but Elena went the same way and both their hands found each other fighting for the gun, "You're out of your league here," he bit out as he flayed against her. Elena leaned down and bit hard on his hand forcing him to drop the gun.

She raised the weapon in front of her and without hesitation, just like Damon had shown her, pulled the trigger hitting Elijah Mikaelson in the chest. He looked down at his wound in complete shock before he raised eyes to hers, "I didn't see that coming," he muttered before she fired twice more.

His body dropped to the floor as an enraged Nikklaus thundered back into the room, Elena tried to shoot again but unfortunately the gun was out of bullets. She cursed her bad luck when she saw the Russian raising his gun and aiming it at her, "What have you done?!" His eyes were distressed as he looked at the lifeless body of his brother on the floor, next to her sister, "You little bitch, what did you do?!" he shouted before Elena felt his fist connecting with her face. "I am going to make you suffer for this!"

"Kill me if you like, but it will not change things. You've lost," he hit her once more pushing her on the ground when the sounds of gunfire distracted his attention. He stood up quickly and moved towards the entrance when Damon, Stefan and all his men busted inside. Elena felt dizzy and winced as Klaus dragged her up by the hair and placed her in front of him, "Kill me and she dies."

"You have lost, Nikklaus!" Damon said as he stepped further into the room, his gun aimed at Klaus as his eyes briefly scanned Elena's appearance. His jaw clenched when he saw the blood on her lips and the now-forming bruises on her face.

"I might be, but I won't go alone," he pulled Elena's hair making her wince and brought her face close to his, "This little _principessa_ will go with me."

Damon's hand gripped the gun hard as he fought against the surging panic and his need to charge at the man immediately, "There's nothing for you here anymore, all your people are dead." The Italian man's voice was soft and hard as he spoke to his enemy, "Your siblings are all dead you are the last of them all Nikklaus and believe me when I say I will have you in pieces before the night ends."

Klaus snorted in frustration; only a few seconds ago he had everything he had ever wanted, in arm's length and now it was all vanishing in front of him like a mirage, "You sound so confident!"

Damon smirked in a way Elena hadn't seen in a while. He was not her Damon at the moment; he was the most feared mobster in New York, "I have the upper hand."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I do!" Damon smirked again and his eyes strayed to where Marcel was standing with a gun aimed at Klaus. He shot at Klaus which caused him to lose his balance and toss Elena to the front but before Damon could reach her he aimed his gun and shot her right in the back, the bullet piercing the skin and going through her chest as she dropped onto the floor.

Blind rage clouded Damon's brains as he raised his gun and put a bullet through the blonde man's forehead, "Make sure he's dead," he screamed as he rushed towards his wife.

The sound of her gasping for air pierced his ears as he took her in his arms, "Call a fucking ambulance!" Damon was sure there was going to be a lot to answer for but he didn't care, Elena needed a hospital and that was the only thing he cared about.

"You're alive!" Elena managed to say between gasps, her trembling hands were pressed below her wound as she tried to breathe through the pain.

Damon stroked her cheeks softly, "Of course I am silly girl, I'm unbreakable remember," he smiled down at her as his eyes filled with tears.

Elena smiled through the pain and raised her blood stained hand to caress his wet cheeks, "I feared to never see your face again," she kept gasping for breath and Damon closed his eyes hating the sound of her grasping onto her life.

"Impossible!" she shook his head, "You're going to be fine my sweet Elena!" his hand now caressed her hair as his eyes drank her in, he felt like ages had passed since he had last seen her and now he couldn't fathom the idea of letting her go again. He felt more scared than he had ever before, the thought of losing her was intolerable to him. He couldn't bear the thought of never hearing her tinkling laugh or seeing her tuck her hair behind her ears when she was shy or nervous or the stubborn pout when she stood her ground against him. The thought that she would not make it was making his heart feel like it would explode, it made him feel helpless and furious at the universe for daring to do this to him.

"No I won't," Elena said between gaps looking into his face as she tried to memorize each feature and give him one last look in case she wouldn't see him again.

"Yes, you will," he said firmly, his heart hammering with fear as he tried desperately to convince himself that she would be okay.

"I'm dying, Damon…I…love…"

He clenched his jaws as he stared at her, "Stop talking nonsense, you don't get to die today!" he would never forgive himself if his sweet dear Elena died because of the war he had with the Russians.

Damon could hear the commotion move outside, as his men vacated the room to search for more of Klaus's men and also give him space to be with his wife. Only Ric and Enzo had remained behind, guarding him.

"I love you, Damon…" she choked out and he closed his eyes in pain. Silent tears streamed down his face without him realizing it. Over twenty years had passed since the last time he had shed a tear and now as he held onto his dying wife he couldn't stop them from coming.

"No, don't you dare say goodbye," he said firmly refusing to entertain the dreadful possibility that he would never see her again, never touch her, never talk to her.

"You are crying…" Elena murmured in amazement as she touched the tears that fell unchecked down his cheeks, leaving blood stains on his face.

He chuckled, "And if you ever repeat it, I will deny it"

A small smile appeared on her lips, "Cheeky!"

"It's going to be fine, tesoro mio you're going to be fine," he stroked her cheeks as her eyes started to drift shut, "Don't you close your eyes Elena, stay with me," his voice was a broken sob as he leaned down and kissed her warm forehead repeatedly, his voice hoarse as he cried out, "You don't get to leave me!"

Once upon a time there was a fiery dragon that lived in the highest tower in the castle of a faraway kingdom. He was feared by everyone and lived in complete reclusion as no one was brave enough to face him. Until one day, a young girl arrived and decided she was not going to be frightened by a silly dragon, she went into the castle and climbed into the tower were the dragon dwelt.

When she arrived and stretched her hand to touch him she realized that he was only human and the dragon was forever changed because of the kind soul that was brave enough to discover what was underneath his fiery façade.

The dragon loved the girl for all eternity and their love was the stuff great stories were made of.

"You don't get to leave me Elena," he cried, "You can't!"

He held her body in his arms looking up, his face scrunched in agony as tears flew unabashed down on his cheeks and he cried in a desperate plea to a God he hadn't believed in before, "Don't take her away from me, you can't take her away from me."

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 **Review? Pretty please...**


	26. There are no happy endings

**Hello there!**

 **Beware of the pain coming our way! I'm so sorry for doing this to you and I just want to let you know there's only three more chapters in the story, I really hope you're liking it and I want to let you how grateful I am for the love you have for it and for your support through this journey. And also as always thank Amber because she's an over the top beta and this wouldn't be so amazing without her.**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention"

 **-Game of thrones-**

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Darks thoughts churned inside her head, manic laughter of crazed men resounded in her brain and lifeless bodies lying flat on the floor, created horrific visions behind her eyelids. There was blood and screams, gunshots and cries echoing inside her, creating a maelstrom within her. A chilling cold swept inside her body and made her tremble with fear as things she didn't want to acknowledge tried to break through the recesses of her overwhelmed mind.

Elena could feel herself slowly gaining consciousness and those dark nightmares became real images behind closed eyes, familiar faces and all too familiar voices. She was aware of a faint beep and though her entire body was aching she fought to open her eyes and force those images away.

"Hi there _Bambolina_ ," she heard the soft voice of her husband as her eyes tried to adjust to his form. He was sitting on the bed facing her, his hair was disheveled and his face looked tired and worn out, she felt him reaching for her hand as her eyes wandered around what appeared to be a hospital room, "You got us scared for a minute there."

Elena felt the panic rising inside her as she remembered those last moments where she had felt the life draining out of her, "I'm sorry!"

He gave her a timid smile, "Don't be. It's all good now." His hand was tracing circles on her hand but not even his touch was able to calm her when the realization of everything that had happened, hit her.

"Damon she… oh my God! Kat is dead!" she heard the machine around her beeping louder and louder as her heartbeat increased in its ferocity when the memories of that ill-fated night her with force. The body of her sister on the ground, her cries and the terrified look on her face as Elijah dragged her into the warehouse.

"I know!" Damon said softly as he moved closer to her, his hands caressing her forehead in a tender way as his concerned eyes focused on her face.

"He killed her right in front of me," her voice choked on a sob as she thought of her parents and how her family had been torn apart in a matter of months. She was the last remaining Gilbert and that thought was too depressing for her to bear.

"Hey, It's going to be okay. I'm here now!" His words were meant to be soothing but Elena wasn't sure if she could ever be at peace again. She kept remembering how she had felt when she had woken up and found herself imprisoned by the ruthless villains, the bone chilling fear at the realization of where she was and what was going to happen to her.

"Oh my God Caroline…"

"She's fine, Elena, Blondie is absolutely fine!" he reassured her as his hands kept playing with her hair. Elena tried to move slightly and felt a sharp pain in her chest, her mind taking her back to the exact moment when the bullet had pierced her skin.

"I was so afraid, Damon!" she admitted after he told her to relax and not to move, "So afraid." She realized in that moment that nothing in her life had seemed scarier than being without him. Elena had become so dependent on Damon that the idea of facing the world without him was too unbearable for words.

"I know sweetheart, I'm sorry!" regret and sorrow shone in his eyes as he spoke to her.

"And I…Oh Damon I killed him!" the realization left Elena gasping for breath; she had pulled the trigger on the gun that had killed Elijah Mikaelson, a man who had grown up with her. She had blood on her hands, she was a murderer now, just like the rest of them.

Damon eyed the beeping machine beside her and tried to relax her as best he could, "Calm down sweetheart!" The last thing he wanted was for her to injure herself further because of what had happened. He had been through literal hell these last few hours waiting for her to open her eyes and grace him with the sound of her voice once again.

"I did it Damon…his blood is on my hands!" her eyes looked hollow as the words left her lips, her voice was mechanical as she spoke. "I'll never be able to wash the blood away!"

"No! don't say that!" he gripped her face with strong but gentle hands, his blue eyes boring into her, "He had it coming Elena. You did it to save yourself!"

"I'm a murderer!" she whispered brokenly.

Damon shook his head and dropped his forehead onto hers, "No, calm down baby!" His words were gentle in a way Elena had never heard before "Everything's going to be fine. Please, just stay calm!"

"Damon…"

"You're safe now, Klaus is gone. They're all gone!" he said the words as if he was meaning to reassure not only her but himself as well, "I'm the King of the Jungle again!" the hint of a smirk played upon his face and Elena started to feel at ease again at the sight of it.

"You're such an ass!"

The smile was full on now as he pressed his lips to her, "And you love it!" He stroked her cheek softly before leaning away from her, "Everything's going to be all right now sweetheart, you'll see!"

"What now Damon?" Elena said after taking a deep breath as best as she could with the pressure on her chest. She saw the way his eyes moved away avoiding meeting her stare and a disquieting feeling started to form in the pit of her stomach, "Damon?"

He sighed as he looked at her again, his mask firmly in place, "Now you focus on getting better so you can go back to being all bossy and moody again!" he joked and Elena felt amazed at how easily he could make things better for her.

Although dark thoughts kept swirling around her head, trying to drown her constantly, whenever he was next to her all she could focus on was him and the light he carried around when he was close to her. For her, being with Damon was like being near the sun.

"Don't be a jerk!"

"I was only being honest sweetheart!" he shrugged seconds before his eyes went serious again. "You need to get better."

"Is it bad?" Elena asked with a bit of fear in her voice.

He shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile, "No, the worst is over. You just need some time to heal yourself but it'll be all piece of cake."

"Yeah right!" she rolled her eyes as her hands moved to the bandage she could feel on her chest.

"It will. I already went through it remember? I know better," he said nonchalantly and in that moment Elena felt a surge of love for her husband that was so strong it threatened to overwhelm her.

"I love you, you know that?" she told him as she stretched her hand and cupped his cheeks tenderly.

His smiled sweetly, "I do, I love you too sweetheart!" There was something in his expression that unsettled Elena, like he was hiding something and it had been a long time since Damon had hidden anything from her.

"Damon? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Elena!"

She meant to interrogate him further but a knock made them both glance at the door and Elena saw the head of her mother peaking inside, a tentative smile on her lips as she regarded her.

Elena felt emotions rising in her chest as she went back to being the little girl that needed her mother's comfort, "Mommy?" she whispered and in no time Miranda was stepping inside and running towards her only remaining child with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh baby!" the older woman reached the bed and leaned down to hug Elena as best as she could without hurting her. Damon looked at the heartbreakingly intimate and painful scene between mother and daughter and felt awkward and out of place so he stood up and excused himself.

"I'll just go and check on some things!" he said although he was pretty sure they weren't paying attention to his words anyway.

Her mother fussed over her as tears streamed down her face continuously, "Are you truly alright my baby?"

"Yes mommy, I'm fine," Elena nodded and gave her mother a watery smile trying to reassure her that everything was fine, "Mommy I…"

Miranda shook her head as she took a seat on the side of the bed Damon had just vacated, "No, no more Elena!" The older woman reached out and took hold of her daughter's hand, "We are going to leave all that pain behind."

Elena saw that very same pain and anguish reflected in her mother's gaze and wondered whether it was ever possible to completely forget the deep pain and destruction, the actions of men seeking power had brought upon them, "But how can we?" she voiced her concerns out loud.

Miranda smiled sadly, "With a lot of work my dear!" Elena let herself close her eyes as she felt her mother stroking her hair softly, "We are here and we need to make the most of it."

Elena's eyes welled up with tears as the horrifying images of her siblings' cold, dead bodies came to her mind. A part of her felt that she was to blame for everything that had happened, "I'm sorry!"

Her mother stared at her reassuringly, "None of this is your fault dear!"

"It's mine!" the strong voice of Grayson Gilbert made both women turn their heads to look in his direction. He was at the door of the bedroom and Elena swore she did not recognize the man she was seeing. He looked defeated and she had always been so used to see her father as a force of nature.

"Daddy…" she breathed out.

She saw her father's shoulders deflate even more if that was possible as he approached them, "I'm so sorry, Elena, I'm sorry for all I ever did to you!"

The young girl shook her head with a small smile, "It's fine, dad!"

Grayson's jaw clenched as he stood next to the bed where his girl was lying, "No, it's not. It was my ambition and my blindness that ruined everything. I was even capable of selling away my own daughter for more power." There was an edge of disgust in his voice and Elena was surprised to see how much her father's stance had changed regarding his own actions.

"No daddy! please don't blame yourself," she told him softly, "While we are not completely innocent ourselves, they were responsible for their actions." Bile rose to her throat at the memory of Elijah and how he had deceived them so easily, "And while your decision might have seemed cruel and wrong in the beginning, marrying Damon was the best thing that could have happened to me." A dark shadow crossed Grayson's face and Elena looked at him questioningly but he decided not to pay attention to her.

It was Miranda who spoke, "He loves you dearly, I can see that!"

"And so do I!" Elena said with a smile. She would have never guessed this would be God's plan for her and though her union with Damon had brought so much pain to her initially, now she couldn't be more grateful to Him for making Damon a part of her life.

Grayson sighed as if he was somehow uncomfortable with the topic, "We should leave you to rest!"

Panic gripped Elena at the idea of staying alone, "No, stay a while longer please."

Her father nodded and sat on the bed at the other side of her mother. They talked for what felt like hours; they reminisced about old times and reassured each other that everything was going to be okay. A dark cloud lurked above them but they refused to acknowledge it, preferring to pretend even if it was for just a few minutes, that everything was all right.

Elena felt like something was different about her father, it seemed that with every word or glance he was saying goodbye, the brunette couldn't understand what that was all about but decided not to dwell upon it, there would be time for that later.

The next few days were difficult ones for Elena, Meredith told her that the wound was healing properly but it still hurt Elena a great deal. The young doctor reassured her that the worst was over and not it would simply be a matter of discomfort till she completely healed. It seemed to Elena like the other woman wanted to say something to her but didn't dare, she had no idea if it was only her paranoia, but it seemed like everyone around her was walking on eggshells and it was driving her insane.

Damon had visited her every day over the last week, but something felt amiss to Elena. He was distant and while his words and actions were still the ones of a man in love, something in his eyes told her his heart wasn't one hundred percent in it. He had closed himself off once again and it worried Elena to think of what could have caused such a drastic change in her husband.

On the fourth day of her hospital stay, Elena was finally able to see her friend Caroline, the blonde had been in observation as well since she appeared to have a broken arm caused by her fight Nikklaus, when he had dragged her to the back room. Elena had been glad to find out the man hadn't managed to do what he wanted with her friend and that the blonde was bright and cheerful as always.

"I swear he might as well keep you in a glass box for the rest of his life," she whined to Elena, as the brunette painted her nails since she wasn't able to do it by herself at the moment. "And don't even get me started with my mom; I'm never going to go out again at this rate."

Elena chuckled as she exanimated the bright teal blue color on her friend's nails, "They just worry but give them time, it'll get better." The younger girl put some final touches on her friend's nails and smiled when her work was done

"You're a life saver!" Caroline said with a dramatic gestured before her eyes softened as she stared at Elena, "I'm glad you're okay Lena, I'm glad we both managed to get out of there."

"I'm glad too Care!"

"And I'm sorry about Kat!" her sister's death was a subject Elena had been reluctant to broach, even though Meredith had told her that it would be good for her to release some of what she was holding onto. But how could anything a shrink tell her, make the fact that she had been made to watch her sister getting shot, any better?

They couldn't understand it. But Caroline had been there and she had seen and experienced the horror with her. "She did not deserve to end like that," Elena nodded at the blonde's words. It was her ambition that had brought her sister's downfall and she wished that they had been closer so she could have seen the signs and known that she needed help.

"Will I ever forget Caroline?" There was a catch in her voice and she felt Caroline's good hand squeezing hers.

"I don't think you can forget something like that. But with time the wound will heal a little, I promise," her friend gave her a kind smile and Elena felt incredibly grateful to have her in her life.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" the blonde smiled, before lifting her legs onto the bed as well and extending her feet towards Elena, "Now can you please do my toes." Both girls laughed and the rest of the afternoon went in the blink of an eye.

It was dark by the time Damon arrived; the minute he walked inside her hospital bedroom, Elena knew something was wrong. His lips were set in a straight line and his jaw was clenched like steel. His blue eyes were cold and his whole stance resembled the one of the man who had stood next to her at the altar of the church, not the man who had cried while he held her dying body in his arms.

"Damon?" her voice sounded tiny and afraid, like a little girl fearful of what might appear in the darkness.

Damon sighed as he leaned against the wall in front of her bed, Elena wanted to reach out to him, tell him to get closer but the look in his eyes stopped her from making any comment, "We need to talk Elena."

"Okay!"

Damon's jaw was clenched and Elena could see the veins popping on his forehead as he spoke, "Your father and I have been talking a lot lately. He feels like the world has crumbled under him and in a way it has," Elena nodded in understanding "He lost both of his children and the heir to his business."

"Yeah…"

His blue eyes pierced hers as he revealed why her father had been acting so weird a couple of days ago, "He wants to step back."

"He does?" Elena asked with a frown. She knew that in a world like the one they lived in stepping out wasn't an option and as if reading her mind her husband uttered his next words.

"But you can't just step back in a business like ours."

A sense of dread overwhelmed her as she watched the cold stance of Damon, "What are you saying?"

His eyes looked down briefly as if somehow he couldn't hold the strength of her gaze on him, "Your father knows someone… he was an inside man in the police. He is to make a deal with this man in exchange for your freedom."

"What?" Elena asked surprised, it seemed to her that all Damon was saying were just jumbled up words, her mind couldn't quite grasp what he wanted to say or perhaps she just didn't want to comprehend.

"He is going to hand over himself to this man so he can make the catch of the century; do you have any idea how much attention a case like that could bring?" Damon stepped away from the wall and walked a few centimeters closer to her.

Elena was shaking her head vehemently, "No, no why would he do that."

"Because in doing so, you and your mother will enter into the witness protection program."

All color was drained from Elena's face as her eyes searched for Damon's who still refused to meet her gaze, "What…"

"This guy can guarantee that you and your mother will be safe, never to be heard of again. Your location will be out of the country and not even any of us will be able to know where that is," the words were clipped as if somehow it was costing him a great deal to say them.

Elena's whole body was coiled with panic and confusion, as she sat up straighter in the bed, "But I am your wife, I can't just disappear."

"Nobody outside my most trusted circles knows you survived Elena," his voice sounded cold and empty, "This is the perfect opportunity to make this happen."

"Perfect opportunity?" she was on the verge of tears as the realization of how huge this was dawned upon her, "Damon… I don't want to leave you."

He laughed sardonically and Elena flinched at the sound, "But you do Elena, you've wanted this since the moment this marriage was forced upon you remember?" His eyes finally rose to meet hers and what she found there shattered her. "You hate this life and everything that it brings; I am giving you the chance of having everything you always wanted. A happy life away from all this violence, the chance of finding a good man who is decent enough to give you a good life."

She shook her head as if somehow she couldn't comprehend what he was saying. How could she want a life in which he wasn't present? Didn't he realize he was so engraved in her skin that it would be impossible to keep going without him, "No, I don't want that. Not anymore."

"It's the best choice Elena," his tone was cold and left no room for discussion but Elena wasn't just going to give up.

"But my father…"

Damon rolled his eyes as if her words exasperated him, "Your father has nothing else to fight for; he's ready to give in."

A broken sob tore out from her throat, "But you said you would never let me go."

"Don't be melodramatic, Elena!" he spat out as he turned around to stare at the wall. She could only see his stiff back, and she wondered when had things changed between them.

She gripped the sheets of the hospital bed as her eyes welled with tears, "How can you say that? Damon I love you and you love me," she was sure of it, in every touch and every glance her husband had shown her that she was his life, how could he stand in front of her right now and deny ever feeling that way.

He laughed again, that cold scary laugh Elena hated so much, "Really… you truly believe that."

"But…"

He spun around so quickly she was surprised his neck didn't crack, "Look at me Elena, I am a monster. I've never been anything else." His tone resembled the one he had used with her before their marriage but there was a hint of self-contempt that hadn't been there before, "Do you truly believe it is possible for a tiger to change its stripes."

"But you said…"

"I say a lot of bullshit; I was infatuated with you but love? I don't love Elena," his eyes were glacial as he looked at her, "I told you once and I'm telling you again, I can't love!"

Anger started to surge in her veins, overwhelming the grief that had been consuming her before, "Don't; don't try to make me believe that."

"Believe what you want Elena!" he said nonchalantly. "There's only one thing that truly matters to me and that is my business, you've proven to be nothing more than a liability. I cannot lose my business over you I am finally King of the Jungle again and your presence makes me appear soft and I can't allow that. My infatuation for you has almost cost me the respect of my men and I have made choices that I would have never made before you. But I can never choose you above my business, no matter how good our sex life is. I will never choose you over my family… Never! So you have got to go, if there is a choice between my business and you, then I am sorry it has to be my business. Your staying with me can make me lose my place as the head Boss and I can't lose what I have built all my life for a girl who I haven't even known that long. Passion is one thing but my life cannot be sacrificed for a good time in bed. This may hurt you but in the scheme of things you will vet over it and I for sure will!"

"You bastard!" she spat at him as tears streamed down her face. She had believed in his words and had been proven to be the biggest fool of all. How was it possible that for just a moment she had thought Damon to be a decent man? All he wanted was power, to be the big boss!

"You and I both know you'll be better off without me, so run now while I'm giving you the chance."

"I hate you!" she yelled as she saw him straightening up.

"Good!" he told her harshly before storming out of the room and leaving her there in the cold hospital bed, grief consuming her as she cried for the happiness she thought she had and the one she was sure was out of her reach.

A naïve girl; that was all she ever was. Elena had fallen madly in love with Damon despite all the warnings, she had given him her whole heart only to have him stomp it on the floor. As the darkness grew and the coldness in her chest expanded Elena vowed to never allow anyone to hurt her that way again.

* * *

 **Honestly, how much do you hate me?**


	27. Monsters are real

**The end is almost here you guys!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, huge thanks to Amber for being an amazing beta and to all of you for reading**

 **Love,**

 **Sam**

* * *

"Monsters are real. Ghosts are real too. They live inside us and sometimes they win"

 **-Stephen King-**

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Elena lay on the hospital bed listlessly watching the world go around her, trying to process everything that had happened to her. Three days had passed since Damon's last visit and she still wasn't able to lessen the ache in her chest every time the memory of his words came back to haunt her. Her eyes were trained on the ceiling as one of her hands played absently with the tube that was connected to the other one.

Her father hadn't returned either and Elena wondered if he was ever going to to show up, she couldn't shut off what Damon had told her about how her father was going to sacrifice his own freedom in order to give her the life he thought she wanted.

But was that what she truly wanted? And even if it was, how could she allow her father to make that sacrifice for her? Condemn him to a life in the shadows? She knew he had done his fair share of evil deeds and probably deserved to be locked away, but nevertheless he was her father and the instinct to protect him overrode other sensibilities or conscience, plus who was she to decide who deserved punishment? Weren't her own hands tainted with blood, gone was the innocent Elena!

Her mind strayed to the past, to the time when she had been uprooted from the only life she knew; she had hated Damon in the beginning, oh how she had loathed him! But somehow unbeknownst to her, the man had found his way into her heart and rooted himself there, making a room in her heart which kept growing until it took over her entire heart, making life without him an impossible feat. He made her fall for him and proceeded to break her heart by telling her he never loved her and that she was a stumbling block in his way.

But Elena knew her husband well and even if he believed he could fool her, the truth was that she had him figured out. His words had hurt her more than anything, the blow he delivered two days ago had been more brutal than any of the cruel acts he had committed against her in the past, but deep down inside her soul, Elena knew that none of what came out of his mouth was what he truly meant, it wasn't true. It was a way to 'protect' her and 'decide' for her what her future should be.

Because she knew deep inside to the very core of her heart that Damon loved her, she had seen it in every glance and every touch. He was abandoning her out of some stupid sense of righteousness and she was going to allow it because she was done fighting for him. Over the course of their marriage she had been the one that was always trying to pick up the pieces and trying to make the best of it, but no more. She was done!

Elena's inner turmoil was interrupted when the young doctor, Meredith Fell walked in with a troubled expression. The girl lying on the bed couldn't help the hostility in her expression as she regarded the doctor, she knew the woman was guilty of nothing but at the moment she couldn't help but feel that everyone associated with Damon was an enemy.

"You knew didn't you?" the words came out with more bite than she had intended but she couldn't find herself to regret it.

Meredith looked startled for a second before schooling her features again as she moved closer towards her bed, "I'm sorry Elena!" The young doctor took her vitals and checked her wounds while Elena tried her best to refrain from verbally lashing out at her, she knew she was being unfair but she wasn't thinking rationally at the moment.

"Is there anyone in the world who isn't loyal to him?" she asked harshly once Meredith had stepped away from her and was scribbling down on her chart.

The glare the doctor sent her way let her know that she might have gone too far, "I am loyal to my patients Elena," she said in a clipped tone before looking around to make sure there was no one outside the room and walking close to her again, "Which is why I'm going to tell you this."

The worried look on Meredith's face was enough to send Elena into a worried frenzy, she had a sinking feeling that whatever it was she wanted to tell her couldn't be good, "What is it?"

She sighed and bit her bottom lip furiously, "Damon might kill me for not telling him this, but this should concern you and only you."

"Meredith…what's going on?"

"When you were brought in we did some tests on you sweetheart, you're five weeks pregnant"

The words that left the woman's mouth were enough to render Elena speechless, her hands moving instantly to her flat belly. She didn't want to believe the doctor's words but a part of her knew that there was a strong possibility that what she was saying was true.

"What?"

"I wanted you to be the first to know so I didn't tell Damon and then Ric told me about Damon's plans and I…" Meredith looked down as if the thing she was going to say next truly pained her, "Whatever happens next is up to you." Elena's eyes flew to hers immediately, "If you choose to have this baby and start your new life with it, I will take this secret to my grave." The doctor smiled kindly at her, "And if you choose to terminate this pregnancy, I won't utter a word."

Elena felt her throat getting dry at what Meredith was implying, "Terminate…?"

Kill her baby? Her hand clutched her gown above her belly as she thought about the life growing inside her. Her eyes watering as she remembered the talk she and Damon had in which he expressed that he wanted many children with her.

A baby, she was having his baby. It felt surreal as she struggled to process what that meant in her life at this junction of time, when everything was a mess!

"This is completely your choice Elena," Meredith's quiet voice snapped her out of her trance and she blinked in order to focus on the young woman again. Her mind was a jumbled mess and at the moment she couldn't understand the implications of her condition.

"I need…"

"Yes of course," Meredith nodded, "You'll be getting released later this afternoon so I'll come back to check on you in a couple of hours." The doctor squeezed her hands before giving her a reassuring smile and walking out of the room.

Elena let out a breathless gasp she didn't even know she was holding while she allowed the tears to fall freely from her eyes. An instant surge of protectiveness washed over her and she covered her belly with her hands, she was horrorstruck at the thought of what her baby could have suffered while she was in the hands of the sadistic Klaus Mikaelson.

There was no doubt in her mind that ending her pregnancy was the last thing she wanted. There was a life growing inside of her, a life created out of her love and passion for Damon, a life that would always remind her of her love for him, and she was going to protect it at all costs. Suddenly the idea of her father's plan seemed perfect; her child would grow up in a safe environment and not amidst violence, no one would expect him or her to follow in their father's footsteps.

But could she do that? Knowing what she knew about her husband and how damaged he was, could she deny him the opportunity of redeeming himself? Of having the one thing he didn't even know he wanted? Could she take his child away from him?

With a heavy heart Elena closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She slept most of the morning, too emotionally drained to keep herself awake. She couldn't get the images of her siblings lying dead, out of her head or the expression on Elijah's face when he realized she had shot him. Elena wondered if she was ever going to be okay with what she had done. She had ended a life and it was difficult to reconcile with that fact.

Her best friend waltzing into the room, woke her from her uneasy slumber. Elena's face lit up with joy and her heart expanded at finally seeing Bonnie, who hadn't been able to visit her until now.

"Hey there gorgeous!" the girl said with a wide smile as she perched herself at the foot of Elena's bed, "I'm sorry I haven't been here before." Elena stretched her hands to clasp her friends' trying to erase the remorseful look from her face.

"It's all right!"

Bonnie sighed as she squeezed her friend's hands, "Dad wanted me back home and I only managed to escape now," Bonnie's eyes searched Elena's hesitantly and she realized that Bonnie knew exactly all that had happened to her and that the events that had transpired had changed Elena's life forever.

"Its fine Bonnie" Elena reassured her while shaking her head sadly.

Bonnie looked down for a heartbeat, her mouth opened and closed a few times as if she was gathering her courage to say what she wanted to say, when the words finally left her mouth Elena knew why she had been so hesitant, "I heard about your father," she whispered.

Elena's heart stopped in her chest and she raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You did?"

"Enzo told me," Bonnie looked ashamed as she spoke.

"Of course!" Elena spat out disdainfully. She loved the English man dearly but at the moment he was only a reminder of the man who had broken her heart.

"Elena…"

"I don't want to hear a word about Damon," she snapped, "I'm tired of everyone thinking I can't handle things."

Bonnie gave her a sympathetic look as she squeezed her hands again, "They do it because they love you."

Elena rolled her eyes in a gesture that made her look like a petulant child, "Maybe my dad."

A small smile played on Bonnie's lips as she regarded her kindly, "You don't believe that."

"Yes I do!"

They remained in silence for a few seconds until Bonnie spoke again, "I think it's a good idea."

"What?" Elena's eyes snapped up at her in utter surprise.

"You'll get what you have always wanted Elena," Bonnie's smile was encouraging but in her eyes Elena could see the truth, the girl didn't really mean what she was saying. "This life was never for you, you don't thrive on power or violence. You wanted a simple life; this is your chance of getting it."

Elena knew what her friend was saying made perfect sense especially now that she had a baby growing inside her belly, but the more she thought about it the more she realized running away was not what she wanted. It might seem like a convenient solution but she realized that she was tired of not facing up to who she was, the reality of what it meant to be born in the life she had been, how much that had shaped her even without her realizing that, it made her who she was and and she didn't want to give that up. She did not want to give up her whole existence

Perhaps that made her selfish as far as her baby was concerned, but she believed it was time she thought about herself for a change. All her life, Elena had done what her family expected of her, she had even married Damon in order to secure her family's future but every single one of those actions had backfired on her.

She was done pleasing everyone. She was now going to reclaim her life, show everyone that she was more than a pretty doll in a display, she had a mind of her own. The experiences of the recent past had changed her inexorably, made her stronger, perhaps a little cynical but she felt empowered by her ability to make decisions for herself without being a helpless victim whose life was tossed around by decisions made by people around her. No one was going to bully her now, right or wrong she would make the pivotal decisions regarding her life, herself!

"No, no Bonnie!" she spoke urgently as the fire inside her blazed on, "In getting this I lose everything else." She sat up on the bed ignoring the pain that shot up from her wound, "I've built a life here and I won't leave it just because they have decided it's what's best!" Bonnie seemed to want to argue with her but Elena didn't even give her a chance to speak, "I'm tired of people making decisions in my name." She took a deep breath, "Would you really want me gone?"

Bonnie's face changed after hearing her friend's words, "Of course not, you're my family."

"And my family is here, I won't hide anymore," there was a determination in her face that Bonnie had never seen before and she realized in that moment that her friend had changed so much from the girl she used to be, "I was born into this world and I'm going to die in it. There was never a chance for a normal life for me and I won't let my father sacrifice himself so I can get it."

"You've grown up" she voiced her thoughts while she gave her a proud smile.

Elena shook her head, "Maybe, maybe not but I sure as hell know what I want and it's not to run away."

Bonnie nodded in silent agreement feeling extremely proud of her best friend and promising to support her though everything. If Elena wanted to fight she was going to fight alongside her and they sure as hell were going to win.

* * *

Stefan stepped into the living room and snorted when he saw his brother lying next to the fireplace. Two day's stubble on in his face, probably two day's clothes on his body and a bottle of bourbon next to his heart.

"I am supposed to lie down next to you and tell you it's going to be okay?" he jested as he looked down at Damon, "I never took you for a Grey's anatomy fan."

His brother opened one eye in order to see him and raised his middle finger in his direction, "Screw you!"

Stefan sighed and proceeded to lie down on the floor next to his brother, "You are depressing, just being next to you is making me depressed."

Damon made an annoyed sound before raising the bottle to his lips and drinking, "Shut up Stefan." The youngest brother raised an eyebrow in the direction of the older, surprised that the man hadn't choked on his own liquor yet.

"I'm just surprised at you Damon; I never took you for a coward."

This seemed to catch Damon's attention, since he opened both eyes and turned his head to stare balefully at his brother, "What? I'm not a coward, you idiot," he scowled. "This is the first time I'm being fucking selfless in my life why don't you show me some support?"

Stefan laughed under his breath, sometimes he wondered if it would be possible to fix his brother's fucked up mind, "I would if I thought you were making the right choice but as far as I'm concerned you're making the biggest mistake of your life."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you're underestimating Elena and making the same mistake again."

"What mistake?" Damon asked, trying to fake nonchalance as he swigged from the bottle again.

"Making Elena's decisions without asking her."

"She would have never agreed if I asked her."

Stefan snorted, "And doesn't that tell you something."

"I can't have her getting hurt, Stefan," there was a vulnerability in his voice that Stefan hadn't heard before, "And you know damn well that I can never leave this business." That was a truth that they couldn't ignore, they knew that the only way out of this world was in a coffin, especially for men like Damon who had managed to be so renowned and dangerous.

"She is strong, Damon… she even killed Elijah!"

His brother sighed sadly, "And that will eat her alive." The guilt he felt for what had happened was eroding him from the inside, he wished that he could have prevented it, he wished that his girl hadn't gone through that horrific experience. He kept picturing her face as she saw Elijah bleeding to death, the last thing he had ever wanted, was for his girl to have blood on her hands; he was the tainted one, he was the monster, not her. She shouldn't have been put in a position where taking that decision was a matter of life and death if it hadn't been for him. "I refuse to change her, I refuse to make her part of the world she's wanted so hard to escape, and I can't change myself so the only way left is to let go of her." On more than one occasion, Elena had made it clear that she hated this lifestyle, before Damon had been too selfish to let her go but after almost losing her, when Klaus first tried to kidnap her, he realized that the only way to keep her safe was to let her go.

"But why don't you give her the chance of making that decision?"

"I was never meant to have her Stefan," Damon whispered absently, "She was always too good for me, I snatched her away and plunged her into my life. Truth is, we were doomed from the beginning, I am a monster, Stefan, it's what I've always been and what I will always remain."

"That's not true!"

"But it is, I am. And I fell in love with her and now I must do the right thing by her, I can't let myself keep consuming her, extinguishing the light that shines brightly inside of her. I already hurt her so much when I forced her to become my wife, I don't want to keep hurting her."

Stefan sighed while shooting his brother a sad look, "It's impossible to argue with you when you make semi valid points." The younger brother took the bottle from the other's hand and gulped, "I still think what you are thinking and doing is crap though," he returned the bottle to his brother, "And that you must have faith in her but since I know better than to fight you…"

Damon nodded absentmindedly, in some dark recesses of his mind he wondered if perhaps his brother was right. But the condition he was in, he couldn't give it much thought so he did the only think he could think off, he kept numbing the pain with more alcohol.

He brought the bottle to his lips only to realize it was already empty, he exhaled and sat up as he eyed the cart filled with bottles, "You want to get drunk?" he asked his brother.

Stefan laughed out loud, "Why do you think I came?"

On the other side of the city, Elena was storming into her parent's hotel room, Bonnie and Caroline had picked her up when she was released from the hospital minutes ago and agreed to take her to her parents.

"I won't do it!" she spat out the minute she was face to face with her parents, who were currently sitting quietly in the small living room of their suite, enjoying their meal. Elena flinched slightly at the sight of them alone when it always used to be her siblings and herself surrounding them, she realized with a pang that she had lost almost half of her family.

"What?" her father dropped his cutlery on the table as he raised his eyes to stare at her.

Elena regarded him warily, "I won't let anyone sacrifice themselves for me. If you want to hand yourself do it for yourself not for me, if not straighten up and get your shit together."

Her mother bristled at her choice of words and her father got so worked up that his nostrils started to flare with barely concealed rage, "Elena Adriana…"

"I'm not done!" she interrupted her father by raising her hand, "I love you, daddy, I love you so much for wanting to protect me but I'm sick of this," she sighed in exasperation. "You won't keep treating me like a doll, this is MY life and no one will tell me what to do."

Miranda's face softened as she stood up and started walking towards her, "Honey…"

Elena raised both of her hands in front of her and stopped her mother from coming towards her, "I am Elena Gilbert and I will not go into witness protection, I won't change who I am, I won't be ashamed of who I am and what I've done."

Her mother frowned and a pained expression appeared on her face as she stared at her daughter, while Grayson's eyes twinkled and a proud smile appeared on his face, "You've changed" he whispered.

It was the second time Elena had heard these words today and the more she thought about it the more she realized how true they were and how much she had grown since the time she had stepped into the plane to fly towards a life she had never known. She had managed to make a spot for herself in an unfamiliar world and become an integral part of it, no more was she in the shadows and periphery of her own life, she had taken control of her future and she was so glad for it because she couldn't be scared anymore, she was not alone anymore she had to be strong for the life growing inside her.

"The hell I have; I'm done being bossed around."


	28. Love is the death of duty

_Well here it is folks; **Some by virtue fall** has finally reached its end. Officially this is the final chapter however we'll have a small epilogue afterwards. I really hope you've enjoyed this story, I want to thank you all so much for your support during this time, I started this in a whim without truly knowing how it was going to end and I'm so proud in what it has become, this version of Delena is very precious to me and will always be one of my favorites._

 _As always I want to thank Amber, who took on the job of helping me with this story and who has done the most amazing work, I'm so glad I got to know her and to work with her because she's simply the best._

 _Here we go_

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"Love is the bane of honor, the death of duty. What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms . . . or the memory of a brother's smile? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy."

 **George R.R Martin**

 **.**

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Damon sighed before letting himself fall into the plush leather chair in his office. A week had passed since he had walked out on Elena and he already felt twenty years older. Things had gotten a little out of control after the Russian's blowout and it had taken a lot of time, money and resources to keep everything undercover and to keep himself and everyone close to him out of prison, which only served to prove that Damon was indeed the most important man in the country and that made him untouchable.

Some of the other families in La Cosa Nostra had been restless because of his perceived lack of control in the Nikklaus situation, but after his fall out and a few shows of power here and there, there was no more doubt that Damon was the Boss and that anyone who would dare cross his path would suffer his wrath.

Damon took the decanter and poured himself a generous amount of bourbon before leaning back on his chair and training his eyes on the window, tumbler in hand.

The young capo had been chasing Klaus for as long as he could remember, he had taken over the old feud started by their parents and continued the bloody battle that should have ended the day his little sister was murdered, the day they were supposed to make peace. But it hadn't and a little girl had died because of it, to this day whenever he closed his eyes he could see his little sister's bloodied and dead body, judging them for all the sins they had committed. He wondered if Elena would see Katherine's and Jeremy's body like he did Adelaide's.

But now Klaus was dead and so was his entire family, even the poor sister who had been innocent in all that mess, an unfortunate, unavoidable collateral damage.

He was finally free of vendettas, free of grudges, free of everything. But he wasn't, not really, because this entire lifestyle was a wheel and the wheel never stopped. When Elena had arrived in his life he had been forced to stand still and look around, she made him reconsider life and somehow she managed to find the man who hid behind the monster.

And now that she was gone he didn't know how to go back to being the man he was before her.

Damon cursed mentally as he sipped the bourbon from his tumbler, the alcohol burned down his throat and he relished the feeling; a part of him felt resentment towards her, he knew it was wrong but he couldn't help but blame her for changing him. He knew that technically he was the one who had dragged her into his life but she had been the one who had pushed and probed at every chance trying to find out what lay beneath the façade, Elena Gilbert had ruined him and a part of him hated her for it.

He gripped the glass in his hand, an energy buzzing inside him and making him want to smash something when a knock on the door startled him making him notice his fingers that were almost white where they were gripping the glass.

"Fuck!" he muttered before downing the contents, "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal a very sultry Vicky Donovan who was wearing a skin-tight, black mini skirt that made her legs look miles long paired with a white silk blouse that managed to save the outfit from looking completely trashy. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Vicky?" Damon asked in annoyance, they had been fuck buddies in the past, and did the 'dirty' a several times over the years, but he had never truly liked her.

"Daddy sent me to see you," her voice was saccharine sweet and Damon had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at her. Peter, her father worked for him and had the habit of parading his daughter like meat in order to achieve things.

"Oh yeah, what does he wants this time?" Damon asked while raising an eyebrow in the direction of the young girl. Her smile widened making her look feline and walked towards him.

"He wants to see if you want to renegotiate some of the territories you gave him in the last meeting." Vicky dropped herself in his lap and not truly knowing why, he let her, "He wants me to talk you into it."

Damon threw his head back and barked a laugh as the girl's fingers busied themselves with the buttons of his shirt, "You and your dad really need to learn how to play this game a little bit better."

Her smile widened as if she hadn't heard his words and instead caressed the skin on his chest that she had managed to expose, her nails scraped against his skin and the mere action annoyed him. Damon looked down at her and while there was no denying the girl was beautiful and hot as hell he felt nothing.

In fact, he had never felt more disgusted with himself than at this moment, "You need to leave Vick." He took the girl's hand and gripped it in his own as he moved her back to make her stand up.

"What?" surprise and disbelief was etched on her face.

His jaw clenched as he buttoned his shirt, "You heard me, out!" Her mouth opened as she stood there staring at him uncertainly, "I won't repeat myself again damn it, get the hell away from here!" His voice was charged with fury and the madness reflected in his eyes was enough to send the girl scrambling away from him.

"You're a jackass!" she muttered before storming out of the office and slamming the door on her way out.

"God damn it!" He took the now empty glass resting on his desk and threw it across the room as he had wanted to do earlier, his hand found his hair and he tugged it in frustration.

He felt caged, like a wild animal that was counting the days until he could be released. Elena had been his center, she had grounded him and now he had pushed her away leaving him alone and unstable, but he had done all of that for her, he had to remind himself of that every time his resolve weakened.

As if somehow just the act of thinking about her could conjure her, the girl who was at the center of his torment, showed up at his door just as he was bringing the bottle of bourbon back to his lips.

She stood at the entrance looking as beautiful as ever in a light pink summer dress, a pair of flats. A couple of bruises marred her otherwise flawless skin and he could see the bandage across her chest through the thin material of her dress.

"What are you doing here?" he threw the words at her as if somehow just speaking them aloud he could make her go away. Elena remained in her spot as she regarded him with something resembling disdain, Damon hated to see that look in her eyes.

"This is my house," she bit out, her chin lifting up in that defiant gesture he adored so much, "I'm still your wife, therefore this is my house."

Damon laughed mockingly while he brought his hand to his face and scratched his chin faking indifference, "Did I not make myself clear?" His words had a cruel edge to them and for a moment he was taken aback at how similar he sounded to his late father.

Elena gave him a look full of contempt as she shook her head, "Oh you were crystal clear; by the way I saw her walking out of here," she said while she gestured with her head towards the door and Damon tried to ignore the hint of pain he heard in her voice.

He took the bottle to his lips and drank greedily, "Good. In case you had any doubts."

Elena let out a mocking laugh, "You are an asshole Damon!" she bit out "But I don't buy your stupid act."

Damon looked so taken aback by her words that even the bottle remained halfway to his lips, "Excuse me?" he said while raising his brows in her direction.

Elena took a step closer to him and he instantly moved back, "You're terrified," she whispered as her eyes regarded him sadly. "Deep down you're nothing but a terrified little boy."

Damon felt the air clogging in his throat at her words as the blood started boiling in his veins at the same, he was so mad at her for daring to come into his house and throw those words at him. Damon was not scared, he wasn't weak and he would not allow her to think that, "Be careful Elena," the words were low and measured and were accompanied with a sinister look in his eyes and if she were someone else she would have gotten the hell away from there.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" her voice dripped with venom as she walked one step closer to him. When she saw the way he retreated from her she sighed sadly, "But I'm not here to fight with you Damon, I came to say goodbye."

"I thought we had done that already," his jaw was clenched as he tried to look anywhere else but her pretty face.

"No, you said it now it's my turn," she stated firmly, "I'm not taking any stupid deal with the police, I am not going into witness protection."

His eyes snapped to her, "Damn it Elena!" he roared.

"No, you do not get to tell me what to do!" she yelled back at him hating the way her voice broke down at the end, "You broke my heart Damon…I love you, like I never thought I could. And you love me too, I know that but I cannot be the only one fighting for this."

Damon moved towards her and gripped her upper arms with so much strength she feared he was going to break them, "You're making a mistake," he bit out scornfully.

"No, I'm not!" Elena shook her head. "I was born into this world Damon; it's time for me to accept it and to finally own it."

His eyes turned sad and the grip on her arms loosened, "You weren't meant for this life," his voice was a mere whisper and she saw the first trace of vulnerability, the same vulnerability she had seen the moment she was shot and he had cried, flicker in his eyes.

"Neither were you," Elena raised her hand and touched his cheek softly as she looked at him with sympathy, "You were just a boy, you weren't born to become this…But they made you, they broke you and pieced you back together in the way they saw fit and now here you are. The most feared man in the mafia." Elena thought about this all the time, she thought about that little boy, the boy that in so many ways Damon still was, she thought of him alone and unprotected in a world full of monsters, who managed to turn him into one of them.

She wanted to give him the chance to be different with their children, to be the man he was always meant to be and to make amends with his past, but she could not do it if he didn't give her the chance.

"Elena…"

"And I know that it would be impossible for you to step out, I know that once in you can never get out, I know that any children you have will be doomed to this life and still I chose to stay but you sent me away."

His eyes were tortured as he stared at her and for a brief moment Elena saw the mask slipping away from his face, stripping him bare in front of her loving gaze, "It is the only way for you to be safe."

Elena nodded, "Perhaps but it is not what I want and I can tell you that because I'm not afraid… but you are." Her hand caressed him again and he couldn't stop leaning instinctively into her hand, craving the warmth that only her could provide. "There is good inside of you Damon but if you can't see it yourself nothing I say or do is going to change your mind." Tears gathered in her eyes as she spoke and the sight of them broke the remains of Damon's heart, "A fantasy life is not what I want, I want the real deal."

"You don't know what you're saying," he told her softly. Never in a million years had Damon thought he was going to love someone the way he did Elena, never thought that he would put someone else before himself and now that he had her in front of him he had to fight with the need of wanting to take her into his arms and to send her away at the same time.

"But I do," she said sadly, "I will always love you Damon but I can't do this alone; I need you to fight for me."

A choked sound came from his throat before he whispered her name, "Elena…"

"I'm going back to Chicago with my parents. I truly hope this isn't the last time I see you." Elena stood up on her tip toes and placed her lips softly on his which moved against hers for a couple of seconds before she broke apart, "Ciao Damon!" she told him with a small nostalgic smile before turning around and disappearing, shattering his world just the way she had when he first laid eyes on her. Damon didn't know how long he stood there, he guessed it was only minutes until his consigliore and his brother appeared at the door.

"You're making the biggest mistake of your life," Stefan said as he leaned against the outside of the door.

"Get out of here!" Damon roared as he turned around and headed once again for the bottle he had left on his desk

"Don't be an idiot, Damon!" Alaric said in a hard voice, Ric who never got worked up over anything seemed about to throw himself at Damon and try to make him see reason, "That girl is the best thing that ever happened to you so man up and go fight for her."

He knew they were right, damn it! Damon knew that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him, the one thing in the world that made sense, something that maybe he hadn't known he wanted or needed in the beginning but one he wanted so badly now but also one that he sure as hell didn't deserve. But what they couldn't see was that he wanted to do the best thing by her but she was making it very hard to do, because what was the point of leaving her if she wasn't going to enter the damn witness protection program.

"Damn it Elena!" he muttered before taking a swig from the bottle. Now his mind swirled with possible scenarios of horrible things that could happen to her just for being his wife and him not being there to protect her.

"You need to fight for her Damon," Alaric repeated.

"There's nothing to fight for anymore," Damon answered stubbornly.

"You don't truly believe that!"

"But I do. She will be better off without me!"

Stefan laughed hollowly, "You're going to regret it Damon, until the day you die," the voice of his brother was an insidious thing taking root in his brain.

"Piss off Stefan!" he muttered before walking to the door and slamming it on their faces.

* * *

With a heavy heart Elena entered the airport with Caroline's arm linked through hers, Bonnie was at her other side and Enzo was behind them with another of his men taking care of their suitcases.

She had arrived in New York, full of dread and sadness because she was to live with a man she despised and barely knew and now almost a year later she was leaving with an overwhelming sadness choking her because she was leaving the man she now loved more than life itself.

"Promise me you won't disappear," Caroline whispered with tears glistening in her eyes as they stopped in front of one of the screens to see the scheduled flights.

"I promise! Care!" Elena said smiling kindly at her friend, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm really going to miss you, Elena!" the blonde gripped both of Elena's hand in hers, "Both of you," she looked at Bonnie who smiled back at her. It seemed amazing that in a matter of only a few months these three girls had managed to create such a tight bond between them.

"We'll miss you too Care," Bonnie reached out to the blonde and gripped one of her hands as well, "Promise to come visit us."

"Promise to come to the wedding," Caroline said while looking at both the girls and Elena chuckled.

"You think I wouldn't?" she raised an eyebrow in the direction of her friend, "I'm your bridesmaid… and I have a bunch of dresses to make."

Caroline giggled in the midst of her tears and hugged Elena tightly, "I love you Elena Gilbert." Both girls had gone through a traumatic experience together and that had created an everlasting bond between them.

"And I love you, Caroline Forbes!" Elena whispered as she felt her throat clogging with emotions. The three girls shared a group hug before saying their last goodbyes. Elena didn't miss the way Bonnie's eyes sparkled when it was time to say goodbye to Enzo, Elena who thought she would never get along with the Englishman found herself tearing up as well, when he hugged her goodbye.

Bonnie and Elena walked with tickets in hand to the waiting area and the young woman couldn't help but think of everything she was leaving behind and the things she was taking with her. Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach as she thought about the baby growing inside her.

"I'm sorry Lena," Bonnie said with a sad face as she eyed her, while her friend didn't know anything about the pregnancy, it was more than obvious that leaving behind Damon was taking its toll on Elena.

Elena sighed sadly, "I just… I thought…" she didn't finish her sentence because words seemed to get stuck in her throat. _I thought he would fight for me_ was what she wanted to say but she had been wrong, perhaps he didn't really love her like he said he did.

"I know" Bonnie said, understanding perfectly what her friend wanted to say.

The girls resumed their walk; Bonnie was talking to her but no matter how much Elena wanted to concentrate on what her friend was saying it seemed to be impossible, the door leading to security appeared in front of them and Elena felt the weight of a thousand rocks in her stomach at the finality that door represented.

That was of course until her eyes moved to the left and she found her husband leaning against the wall. Arms crossed on his chest and his left foot carelessly placed across the right one, he was wearing a black dress shirt with a pair of jeans and though his hair was disheveled and his eyes red rimmed he was still the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes upon.

Elena's heart started beating wildly in her chest at the sight of him and when he pushed away from the wall and moved towards her she felt a thousand of butterflies flapping around in her stomach.

"I'll go check on something…" Bonnie said teasingly before scurrying away in the direction where they had come from.

Damon stood in front of her, tall and imposing as the mafia boss he was, his stance made him appear dangerous but there was a vulnerability in his eyes that only showed when he was with her.

"I was wrong," he said solemnly.

Elena nodded, "You were"

"I am an idiot"

"You are" a half smile played on her lips

Damon raised his hand and cupped her cheek softly, "I love you"

"I know"

Damon dropped his forehead to hers, "I'm so sorry Elena!" His minty breath caressed her face and she almost wanted to weep at the familiarity of it all, the familiarity she had missed the past couple of days. "I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought that you could be happy and stay safe away from me."

Elena sighed, "Damon, you know I love you more than I thought humanly possible. The only way I could be happy is with you." Her hands were gripping the fabric of his shirt at his sides trying to pull him closer to her.

"But I didn't want you to be chained to a life you detest," she could hear the pain in his voice and she could understand how he had got that idea. On more than one occasion, Elena had complained about the violence in their lives, but that didn't mean she wanted to be without him, if it was with him she could withstand everything and anything.

"I already told you Damon, I don't want the fairytale," she raised herself on her tip toes so she could touch his nose with hers, "I don't want to be oblivious!"

Damon made a pained sound, "You're stronger than I am."

Elena chuckled, "Perhaps!"

"Cheeky!" Damon smiled and pinched her cheek playfully before clasping her in a tight hug, her face buried in his neck as his hand gripped her small frame. "I love you. I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to make up to you for what an asshole I was!" he whispered against her hair and not for second did Elena doubt that he was telling the truth. She knew her husband and just as she had known he was lying when he told her he didn't love her she knew now that he would never let her go again. "The truth is I am a selfish bastard and I realize my life is too sad without you."

Elena smiled against the skin of his neck, "My life is sad without you too!"

Damon broke apart from her and stared deeply into her eyes as he spoke, "I once promised to never let you go my love, and I will spend every day fulfilling that promise and making sure you never have to doubt me again."

Elena stared at him with such tenderness it made his heart soar, he couldn't believe that even for a moment he had contemplated the idea of living without that for the rest of his life, "I love you!" she said breathlessly, "But I feel like I'm forgiving you too easily."

Damon chuckled as he took her by the waist once again, "Yeah? What do I have to do?"

Elena faked thinking about it while a wide smile appeared on her lips, "I think it might take me a while to think of a proper way."

Damon threw his head back and laughed before moving her closer to his body once again, "We have all the time in the world tesoro mio," he whispered before taking her lips in his and robbing her of her breath with just one touch.

They kissed for what like seemed ages; with every touch of her lips against his, Damon swore a part of his soul was healed. He wasn't a good person and he was not going to pretend to be one but he couldn't deny that being with her made him a better man, made him want to change and be worthy of someone like her.

Elena pulled away from him and looked down while still being in the circle of his arms, she seemed a little hesitant and something akin to dread crawled inside him.

He took her chin between his fingers and titled her face upwards, "What is it?"

Elena's fingers busied themselves playing with the buttons on his shirt as she tried to avoid the inevitable revelation she was dreading, "There's something I have to say," she took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant!"

Damon blanched and broke apart from her, staggering backwards. He felt anxiety coiling in his stomach as he tried to let her words sink in completely, "What?" he asked breathlessly.

Elena looked up at him nervously while she twisted her hands in front of her, "We're having a baby Damon!"

He raked his hand through his hair as he looked at her bewildered, "I-… I don't know what to say!"

Elena huffed, "Didn't you want like a billion children?!" a frown had appeared on her forehead as she stared at him with an offended look.

"Calm down cara!" he chuckled as he moved towards her again, "It's just that I'm processing!"

Elena sighed and let herself be taken in his arms once again, "I will help you Damon" she said softly while she caressed his cheek. She could see the fear lurking underneath his baby blues and it broke her heart to think of how much this powerful man could doubt himself.

"I'm sure you will," he smiled absently as he let himself be caressed by her loving hands, "I'm scared. Can you believe that?" His stance made him appear as if he didn't care but the catch in his throat let Elena know he was worried sick.

"Yes, I can" she told him softly.

An emotion she couldn't name passed across his face before he cradled her face between his hands and stared directly into her eyes, "I will be better Elena. Better than him!"

Elena felt her heart expanding in her chest at his words, "I know you will!" She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips softly to his, "I believe in you!"

Damon opened his mouth to speak but the emotions clogging his throat made him close it again, instead he nuzzled his nose against her and pressed their foreheads together until he was sure his voice wasn't going to break, "You're the only one who's ventured to see the mean beneath the monster" A sad smile appeared on his lips as he regarded her, "You are everything I don't deserve!"

"Maybe… but regardless, you have me," she threw her arms around his neck "From now until forever!"

"Ti amo" he whispered before kissing her.

"Ti amo Damon"

And it in a busy airport that for the first Damon Salvatore allowed himself to believe that happiness was within his reach and that perhaps he didn't have to spend his whole life in the shadows.

* * *

 **P.S I'm working on a new story, might start posting soon, so wait for it :)**


	29. Double Happiness

_TA-DA!_

 _Now this story is officially complete. I love you all for taking the time to read and to review my story; your words always kept me moving forward and I really cannot explain how happy it made me to know you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really hope this ended the way you expected it and that you feel satisfied with the journey of our beloved characters._

 _As always I want to thank Amber for being an awesome beta and adding a bit of herself into it, some of the great smut in this chapter belongs to her amazing mind, so let's congratulate her!_

 _Here we go!_

 _P.S. If you want a glimpse into Damon and Elena's life just wait for it, I'm working on a longer epilogue to be posted on Christmas._

* * *

"He showed me how to get lost, and then I showed myself how to get found"

 **-Gayle Forman-**

 **.**

 **.**

The faint light coming from the floor lamp in the far corner was the only thing that illuminated the room while he buried himself inside of her. She gasped into his mouth as she felt him speeding up the rhythm, his hips slammed against her with brutal force as his fingers dug into her legs so hard she knew bruises were going to appear in a matter of minutes.

"Fuck Elena, I want to hear you fucking say it!" he rasped against her mouth as he drove himself all the way inside her, so deep it hurt in the best way possible. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp as her head fell back and her legs tightened around his hips even more, "Tell me amore mio!"

"I am yours, Damon!" she managed to say between moans as he pounded into her, their wet skin slapping against each other and the headboard thumping against the wall as the echoes of their intense lovemaking reverberated through the whole room, as he fucked her wildly.

Three years into their marriage and Elena swore Damon grew more possessive of her with each passing day, and to be honest she delighted in the fact. Maybe it meant she was as twisted and fucked up as he was but she did not care, she loved to tease and provoke him, knowing that if she pushed hard enough the monster inside him would come out and play with her. And she loved to tease the monster and entice it to ravish her till she couldn't remember her own name.

Theirs wasn't a completely normal relationship by any means, they weren't your average next door couple with a white picket fence around their house, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Yes you are. All mine! sweet girl," he moved his mouth towards her neck and bit the place where it met her shoulder, Elena groaned and dug her nails into his ass as she forced him even deeper inside her. He squeezed her breasts and with his other hand he pulled her by the hair to bring her up to a sitting position so they sat flush to each other making him go even deeper inside her.

Sometimes she felt like her need for Damon drove her mad, like he was never close enough or she never spent enough time with him. Her need for him consumed her and if his possessiveness grew with each passing day so did her obsession with him.

"Nobody gets to fucking touch you!" he whispered against her ear before licking the inside of it, inhaling her deeply and continuing to lick a wet path down her neck making her shudder and squirm under his body, "Nobody gets to fucking look at you!"

"No one but you!" she gasped totally in throes of sensations overwhelming her.

"Are you mine?" he asked her hoarsely.

"Only yours…" she replied as another wave of pleasure made her come undone.

Damon's latest outburst of jealous rage, which Elena in her heart of heart really enjoyed, had been unleashed after walking inside Elena's new boutique where he found her taking measurements of one of the stunning male models she worked with. His jaw clenched and his knuckles were white as he fisted them against his side. He dismissed the model without another word and dragged her into the back room to fuck her senseless against mannequins and racks of clothes not caring if there were people outside. He gripped her shirt over her head one hand and unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his belt with the other. He stood bare in front of her and she felt her breath hitch at his perfection her eyes traveling down the trail of hair leading down to his engorged cock. He pulled her back flush against him, pulling off her skirt so that she could feel his erection against her ass. His hands cupped her breasts as he pointed them towards the floor length mirror. The sight of one his hands on her breasts and the other moving inside her red lace panties was so erotic she moaned and closed her eyes as she tried to grind against his erection in order to bring some relief to the throbbing ache between her legs, eliciting groans from them both.

"Keep your eyes fucking open, Elena and see us and see who brings you pleasure, see how perfect we look together." His thumb circled her clit as he inserted his fingers inside her.

"So wet…" he groaned, "so wet for me…"

"Only for you..." she said breathlessly, panting in her need, as she tried to fuck his hands trying to move up and down trying to chase her orgasm. She looked in the mirror and the sight of his fingers pinching her nipples and his other hand inside her panties, the feeling of his raging hard-on against her back, the expression on his face, the lust in his eyes all became too much, as she shouted out

"I can't…it's too much…it feels too good…" she rasped out in agonizing pleasure.

He turned her to face him and grasped her hand, bringing it down to touch him, he felt so hard and smooth in her hands.

He shuddered under her touch as he grated out, "these hands touch no one else's body but mine, no one gets to feel your touch but me."

By now they were both breathless with pent up need and desire, Damon lifted her up and lowered her down wrapping her legs around his waist as he dug his fingers in her hips moving her up and down his hard length. He kissed her as she screamed out her pleasure, they could hear people outside and that only made them more turned on than they already were. She clenched around him and he pumped into her in a frenzy till they both came in a haze of mind-numbing heat and pleasure.

And once they reached home he locked her in the bedroom and proceeded to ravish her the whole night, hence why he was asking her to acknowledge his ownership of her body and soul.

Elena hated his patronizing ways most of the times and wasn't shy to let him know when he was being an ass, most of those arguments began with blood curling screams and ended up with one of them pressed against a wall while the other one attacked and ravished with their mouth and hands.

She wasn't a submissive woman at all in affairs that were important, but when it came to matters of passion, it was a different story. When the door of their bedroom closed behind them she loved nothing more that surrender to him completely. Although Damon had broken her heart he had also gone on to prove how much he loved her, even to the point of giving her up just to keep her safe, he had ended up putting her back together to create a new and stronger Elena. There was no denying that he was the one that owned her heart and soul, it was not because he stole it from her or demanded it but it was because she chose to give it him and that she trusted him with both.

But in a way she owed him too. His heart, soul and body belonged to her just as much as hers did to him, together they had found a world of pleasure, lust, love and tenderness.

"I love you Elena, damn it I love you" Damon shouted before releasing himself inside her and pushing her to her limit, Elena came with a shout as she pressed herself into his body. She could feel every ridge of his damp body against hers and relished in the feel of it.

"I love you too baby!" she answered before kissing him.

Damon didn't say those words as often as she imagined other men did but she did not hold it against him because she knew it was how he was. Damon wasn't a man of many words, he was a man of actions and every day he showed her how much he loved her.

Yet, sometimes when the passion between them was too overwhelming he couldn't keep himself from uttering those three words, although he knew that mere words could never encompass what he felt for her.

Damon rolled off her and brought her body to lie on top of his, Elena snuggled into him and breathed into the scent of sweat and sex that drenched the air, "You fucking did that on propose didn't you?" he asked and snorted when Elena laughed, truth be told she did know that working with Luke was going to cause Damon to snap.

"I might have," she answered before pressing a kiss onto one of his pecs. His body never failed to awe her, and she felt a shiver go up her spine as she saw his perfection.

"You like to push my buttons Mrs. Salvatore."

"I can't say I don't," she giggled before snuggling even more closely to his body, sometimes she felt like she wanted to bury herself under his skin and never come out.

"One of these days these little games of yours are going to backfire."

"Maybe!"

"Cheeky!" he pinched her nose before placing a kiss onto her forehead and draping the comforter on top of them.

"No shower?" she asked even as she felt her eyes growing weary.

"Not tonight, I want you to go to sleep smelling of me."

She smiled against his skin, "You're such a caveman."

"I can't say I'm not and you can't say that you don't love it!"

Elena closed her eyes and let herself be whisked away into dreamland while she lay in the arms of her love.

* * *

Elena smiled as she held the squealing baby boy in her arms; Damon was standing next to her as they heard the words of the priest, the proud parents were standing in front of them wearing the happiest of smiles on their faces. Luca moved into her arms and Elena dropped her lips onto the sweet smelling forehead of her nephew and now godson, to give him a gentle kiss.

Caroline and Stefan had welcomed little Luca into the world almost a year after Elena herself had birthed her little Lyanna. Both girls had been beyond excited that their children were going to be so close in age, as they wanted them to be as close as Damon and Stefan were to each other.

The young couple had chosen a bright May Day for the baptism of their little one and how the church didn't crumble down with Damon, Stefan and all of their men in there was a surprise to Elena.

The priest asked for the child to be handed over and Elena did it gladly, her lips stretched into a smile as she observed the little boy in the priest's arms and felt Damon squeezing her hand.

Sometimes it amazed her to think of how far they had come.

After their reconciliation in the airport so many months ago, Damon and Elena had decided to have a second wedding. With nothing of the glamour and the pomp of the first one, instead they travelled to a little vineyard in Italy and in front of only the closest people to them they said their vows for a second time, meaning every word that came out of their lips.

His heart beat wildly as he saw his beautiful wife walking towards him and this time she was smiling and happy to be walking towards him unlike the last time where she was devastated. Her simple but beautiful dress billowed around her as eyes shimmered with unshed tears of love and adoration. His eyes moved to her stomach where she carried their young one and his heart surged with happiness and a joy so sharp it almost pierced his heart and he too felt tears prick his eyes, tears which he of course would never allow to fall. He felt so full of emotions he didn't know what to do, what had he done to deserve this he didn't know but whatever it was he was very grateful to God for giving him this second chance.

A couple of months after that they had welcomed their little girl into the world, any reservations Elena had about Damon's parental skills flew out of the window the minute she saw him holding their child in his arms. Lilly Salvatore had been so wrong when he told her Damon was like his father, he wasn't and she knew without a doubt that their children would never have to grow up wondering if their father loved them. The moment Damon had looked into her small crying face he knew that these two girls held his heart in their hands. Looking into his daughter's eyes so much like his own, he felt the years of bitterness at his own youth fall away. He knew he would never let either his wife or his daughter down, they would come before everyone and he would give up his life for them in a second.

Things weren't always like a fairytale of course; Damon still remained the most feared boss of the Cosa Nostra and had to do things Elena didn't even want to think about, but that was their life and she had embraced it a long time ago. Now she liked to hear about his plans and gave him advice about things she thought important, she was always grateful that Damon trusted and listened to her, giving her counsel the importance it deserved, she would have hated for him to shut her off from such an important part of his life.

Her father remained the Don of the Chicago family and Elena had no idea what would happen if he ever passed away since there was no longer any heir to take his spot, she tried not to think about it too much since the horror of her sibling's deaths tormented her to this day.

Elena sighed and felt Damon's hand on her waist pulling her closer to him; she leaned into his body as her eyes landed on Bonnie who was sitting next to Enzo in the first row. Those two continued to dance around each other even after two years, Elena knew her friend was going to give in eventually and knew that Enzo was going to be good for her, there was no doubt of it once you saw the way he looked at her. Elena wished nothing but happiness for her friend and knew that Jeremy would have agreed with her.

Her attention was drawn back to the child when she heard his soft cries as the priest poured the holy water onto his head, her eyes shone with happiness whilst watching the scene and she felt Damon's arms surrounding her by the waist. There had been moments in her life when she had seriously doubted that happiness was something she could ever have; but now looking around her she was glad to have been proved wrong, because she wouldn't change her life and these little moments for anything in the world.

"I want another one," she whispered.

"You do?" he asked into her ear.

A smile appeared on her face as she nodded, "Yes, a baby boy this time."

She heard Damon chuckling behind her, "You wish is my command my lady, there is nothing that would give me more pleasure than to start working on your wish right now," he said wiggling his eyes naughtily.

"As always."

"Excuse me?" he tried to come off as offended but Elena knew that he was amused more than anything.

"I have you wrapped around my finger and you know it Salvatore."

"That is absolutely not true," he refuted, still whispering into her ear so as to not draw the attention of the priest to them, "I am a free soul." His hold tightened around her as he whispered darkly into her ear, "Are you forgetting who I am dolcezza?"

She tried to stifle a laugh, "You are the man who allowed his wife to name their daughter after the character of a book."

"Well… it is a really good book."

Elena chuckled, "Don't try to deny it Damon. I've tamed you."

His breath ghosted over the skin of her ear as he whispered to her, "You want me to prove to you that's not true?" Elena felt her toes curling at the sound of his voice and the promise it held.

"Are you trying to scare me Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon placed a gentle kiss below her ear, "Warning you, you might need a little spanking when we get home wife."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," she breathed out wicking wickedly and his eyes turned almost black with lust and he groaned, inhaling her deeply as he pictured her on top of him moving up and down sensuously with her head thrown back, her dusky nipples taut and pebbled, her ass slightly pink where he spanked her. They quickly straightened when they saw the angry looks the priest threw their way. They stifled a laugh as they watched both Caroline and Stefan rolling their eyes at them.

"We are going to burn in hell," Elena whispered.

Damon pressed another kiss below her ear before releasing her, "Perhaps, but we might as well do it together."

She smiled at his words.

Her hand found Damon's and she laced their fingers together as she thought about the long road they had travelled together and how much he had changed her and also how she had changed him. She thought of the lives lost, the tears that were shed, the obstacles crossed to bring her to this point.

They say God works in mysterious ways and Elena liked to believe that despite them being people least deserving of his blessings, God had nevertheless given them everything they could ever desire. He had found a way to bring them together and it was because of that gift from God, that her life was filled with such an abundance of love and joy.

Damon was her destiny and she was glad both of them had been strong enough to fight for it against all odds.


	30. We're simply meant to be

**So here it is, as promised, a Christmas piece and extended epilogue of Some by virtue fall. I'm still in awe of how much you all loved this story so I really hope you enjoy this little glimpse into the life of our characters.**

 **As always I want to thank Amber for taking the time of helping out and polishing this baby and I also want to thank all of you for supporting me and reading my work, I hope you all had a great Christmas and I send you my best wishes for this new year, it's been wonderful to share 2017 with all of you.**

 **Here we go.**

* * *

"My dearest friend, if you don't mind I'd like to join you by your side, where we can gaze into the stars and sit together now and forever. For it is plain as anyone can see, we're simply meant to be."

 **-The nightmare before Christmas-**

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Elena Gilbert woke up Christmas morning, filled with a sense of excitement and happiness, she threw her arms over her head, stretching her body languorously on the huge bed she shared with her husband. It was such a comfortable bed covered with the highest count cream-colored, Egyptian cotton sheets, that she wanted to sink back in, she really didn't feel like leaving the bed but one glance at her bedside clock told her it was probably time she got up.

She went to the bathroom to take a quick shower before putting on a long sleeved, wine-colored, cotton dress and a pair of ballerina flats, her hair was damp and fell down her back in lose waves as she left the coziness of her bedroom.

As she stepped into the hallway she was greeted by the sight of her little Ian scurrying towards his bedroom, trying to hide a bag full of cookies. "Where do you think you're going little man?" she asked and she couldn't help smiling when she saw his cheeks redden as he tried to hide the cookies behind his back.

"Just to my room, mommy," he said with an innocent shrug that identified him as his father's son immediately. Ian had dark brown hair and hazel eyes like hers, but his every mannerism reminded her of Damon, he had been her 'accident' baby. At thirty-five Elena hadn't expected to get pregnant again but it had happened and now here they were; a mischievous four-year old running around the house and stealing cookies from the kitchen and his loving mother pretending to not know what he was hiding.

"I see, and what is that you're hiding?"

She could practically see the wheels turning inside his head, wondering if there was a way for him to get away with it, but realizing there was no way out, he sighed and handed over the bag of cookies. Elena chuckled as she retrieved two from inside and handed them over to him.

His little face lit up and she felt her heart swelling with love for her little man, "Why were you running in such hurry?"

"Dean will be here soon!" he said in between bites of his cookie, "I want to show him my dinosaurs and my books, daddy got me two new books yesterday and I want Dean to read them with me."

Elena's smile widened as she ruffled her son's hair, Ian's favorite pass time was reading and he made Damon buy him books every time they went out and he always stayed up late cuddled with them in their bed while Damon read whichever book Ian asked for. Her baby boy was such a nerd, a fact she took great pride in.

"I'm sure Dean will love to read you," Ian nodded enthusiastically before blowing Elena a kiss, something Damon had taught him to do, and swirled around, once again running towards his bedroom, 'Easy steps Ian!' she shouted and chuckled when the, 'Yes mommy!' came in response.

She continued her way down and breathed in deep as she stood at the bottom of the stairs and felt Christmas in the air, the distinctive smell of this season of love and giving; it was mint and cinnamon, apples and pine, it was family and love and her hazel eyes filled with tears without her even realizing it.

With a contented heart, Elena headed in the direction of the kitchen, since it was the only place where she could hear voices and signs of activity, there she found the very frail Mrs. Flowers giving Maytana and Lyanna instructions while they were cooking the Christmas dinner. Elena stood at the entrance with her hip pressed against the threshold as she watched both young girls moving around the kitchen.

Maytana had grown to become a beautiful woman and wrote articles in a fashion magazine, she visited them as often as she could and Elena enjoyed the time they spent together dearly. Lyanna had just started her second year of college, her dream was to become a doctor and that made Elena very proud.

"What are you two joking about?" Elena asked when she saw the girls speaking in hushed tones and snickering together.

Lyanna's eyes lightened at the sound of her mother's voice and they twinkled in mischief while her hands were busy mixing the batter in the bowl she was holding, "I'm just telling May to get ready."

Elena raised an eyebrow as she stepped further into the kitchen "Ready?"

Mrs. Flowers sighed in a dramatic gesture, "My granddaughter is bringing her boyfriend over tonight."

Elena chuckled, "Oh boy!"

If there was one one fact, no one could ever deny, it was that Damon and Stefan were sometimes too overprotective of the people they cared about and Elena was sure they were going to grill the boy and make him squirm, till they decided he was good enough for Maytana, which meant that dinner today would be eventful to say the least.

"Exactly!" Lyanna practically squealed with glee while Maytana looked down embarrassed. Despite the age difference the girls were thick as thieves yet they couldn't be more different from each other; where Maytana had grown to be a bit shy and quiet, Lyanna was outspoken and bubbly. "You should have seen daddy's face when she told him," she snickered, "…and Uncle Stefan's!"

Maytana gave Elena a worried look, "I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea!"

Elena dismissed the girl's concerns with a wave of her hand, "Nonsense! don't worry I'll keep them on a leash." She winked at the younger girls, who giggled in response at her words, "Speaking of, where is my dear husband?"

"He's with Addy in the library," Lyanna answered as her attention went back to the task at her hands.

Elena sighed happily, "I'll be back in a little then."

She exited the kitchen and its wonderful smells to go in search of her husband. Their eleven-year old daughter Adelaide was a handful; she was rebellious and disobedient and kept them on their toes all the time, she had almost failed school this year so Damon had taken upon himself to tutor her and make her work harder in order to improve her grades, sometimes even on vacations, a fact that the little girl didn't appreciate at all.

As she neared the hallway Elena started to hear the din that indicated Damon and Adelaide were together, those two loved each other to pieces but they were so alike that they couldn't help but argue all the time.

"But I try daddy," Elena heard her youngest daughter complaining and chuckled softly, wondering if Damon was going to give in this time.

He sighed loudly, "No you don't, come on read it again _piccolina_ the answer is easy."

"But I can't!"

"Come on Addy!" there was an edge to his voice that let Elena know he was getting angry because if there was something her middle child was good at; it was making her father angry.

Addy sighed in a way very similar to him, "But daddy…"

"No, it will not work this time Adelaide!" his voice was hard and left no room for questioning but Elena knew her daughter was not going to give in so easily. The door was ajar so she peaked inside and almost chuckled at the sight in front of her.

Damon was behind his desk wearing the biggest scowl on his face while Adelaide was sitting in front of him; clad in a dark blue dress from Elena's collection, her notebook on the table in front of her with an answering scowl that matched her father's on her own face.

Angry blue eyes looking at angry blue eyes.

"But it's Christmas and vacations! Why do I have to do homework?" Adelaide nearly hissed in anger, Elena could see her little ears turning red.

Damon straightened up even more as he clenched his hands tightly onto the wooden table, "Because you almost failed the school year and I will not let that happen."

Adelaide huffed and sulkily crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't like you!"

Elena felt a stab of pain in her heart when she saw the way Damon's eyes shone with hurt, anyone else wouldn't have noticed but she knew her husband like the back of her hand, "You know why I do this, right?" his voice had softened, "Don't you want to finish school sweetheart?"

Adelaide nodded; regret already showing in her eyes, "Yes!"

"Don't you want to go to college like Dean and Lyanna?"

"Yes"

He sighed almost sadly, "Then you understand why I'm trying to make you study,"

"Yes!" she nodded again.

"Come here!" Damon said as he extended his arms; the girl didn't think twice before abandoning her chair to go straight into her father's lap. Damon tightened his arms around her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Adelaide's eyes looked at him with shame and regret, "I love you, daddy, I didn't mean it earlier, I do like you."

A small smile appeared on his face, " _Ti voglio bene piccolina_ " Adelaide smiled and raised her face to place a kiss on Damon's cheek. "Now go help your sister in the kitchen, we'll continue with this, the day after tomorrow." He patted her knee and she climbed down, went to close her books and headed towards the door where Elena was now openly looking at them.

" _Ciao mamma_!" Adelaide said with a smile as she stood on her tip toes to throw her arms around Elena.

The older woman returned the hug and inhaled her grape smelling hair before pressing a kiss on the crown of her head, " _Ciao topolina_!" she said before the little girl headed towards the kitchen, a little flounce in her step as she went.

Elena's eyes moved towards her dashing husband as she put a hand on her heart theatrically, "Seriously I think my ovaries just exploded hearing that, I think I may have got pregnant just by watching that."

Damon threw his head back and laughed deeply, "Haha, as if that was possible," he extended his arms towards her, signaling he wanted her on his lap.

Her pregnancy with Ian had been not only unexpected but also difficult, she had suffered from high blood pressure, the doctor had warned her of consequences if she were to have another one. Throughout the pregnancy Damon had been on tenterhooks, paranoid of the slightest wince coming from Elena. During her delivery when it had been touch and go as Elena's pressure had shot up really high, Damon had fallen to pieces, he could not imagine his life without her. They had decided that Elena would have a hysterectomy, for she didn't want to put her life at risk once again and Damon had also asked for a vasectomy, just to be sure, he had said.

She sighed as she sat on top of his legs, "You will have your hands full when that one grows older." Her hands caressed his salt and pepper hair and wondered how it was possible for her husband to be even hotter now at fifty-two then she would have ever thought possible. He made her heart race and senses tingle when he gave her his smoldering looks.

He almost purred at the feel of her hands on his hair, "I know tesoro mio, can you tell me why in the world she came out so like me?"

"It is karma amore mio," Elena said with a chuckle, they stayed in silence for a few moments; his eyes closed as he enjoyed the caress of her soft hands. Worry lines marred his forehead so after a while she asked softly, "What is troubling you Damon?"

He sighed at the same time his startling blue eyes opened to stare at her, "Luca asked to be put on the streets; he wants to work alongside Kai."

Luca Salvatore was their eighteen-year old nephew and godson; since an early age the young boy had been interested in different parts of the business in a way Dean, their eldest son, hadn't been. Dean and Luca were the same age but while the first one had chosen to pursue a career in law his cousin had chosen to follow the footsteps of his uncle and father.

Elena inhaled deeply as she leaned her body towards his, arms encircling her waist and trapping her to him "And you don't want that?" she asked.

Damon seemed thoughtful for a moment, "The kid has it in his blood tesoro; just look at his grandma and look at me and unlike Dean, Luca actually wants it!" Damon pressed a soft kiss on the exposed cleavage of his wife and buried his face between her breasts as he inhaled deeply, "He reminds me a lot of myself at his age."

"But without the godforsaken father…" Elena couldn't help the slight bite in her voice whenever she talked about Giuseppe Salvatore, in her mind the man would always be the villain responsible for tarnishing her husband's soul since such an early age.

"Except that…" he said softly. "He's a good kid and I think he has great potential to be a great boss… maybe."

"Your successor?"

"Yes, I do believe that!" he answered sincerely. Since Elena had got pregnant the first time, the question had loomed between them; it was impossible for him to leave the mafia world and thus his children were damned to continue with it, but ever since Lyanna was born Damon promised to never force the lifestyle on any of his children which was why he allowed his youngest child to go in search of a medical career and for Dean to pursue law. He didn't want to be his father; he wanted them to have an option. But every Don needs a successor and he honestly hadn't thought about what he would do when the moment to step aside arrived, he still had two younger children who might decide they wanted to continue the legacy… but then he started observing Luca, who revealed himself as a perfect candidate.

"Liz is beyond the moon to see the boy growing into his own man but Stefan… I think Stefan's heart might break a little." His arms tightened around her and in that moment Elena felt a surge of love so deep for her husband, a man that for all intents and purposes was a monster in his own right but who had one of the biggest hearts in the world.

"I love you Damon!" she told him with all honesty and felt him smiling against the skin of her chest.

"What do you think I should do?"

Elena sighed as she threaded her fingers through the soft hairs of his head once again, "I think you know what you should do and so does Stefan. You're not forcing him into this, Damon, he wants it, and he desires it. It's time for him to become a made man."

He seemed to mull over her words for a few minutes and then nodded, his lips kissing above her chest softly once again before he rose his face to stare into hers, "They'll be here soon?"

"Yes, they're coming earlier since Allegra is going to try on some dresses for the show on Friday."

Damon chuckled, "She finally convinced you."

"She's as persevering as Caroline and if she wishes to be a model who am I to stop her," Elena said referring to Stefan's and Caroline's younger daughter who tended to worship her and her clothing line. Allegra had just turned sixteen and had been begging to model for her since she was thirteen, "Especially when she's amazing at it, but make no mistake I will keep an eye on her like a bloody hawk"

Damon smirked at her, "My bloody hawk," his voice was sultry as his right hand traced lazy circles underneath her dress inching down slowly and sensuously, their conversation taking a 360° change in a matter of seconds.

"Are you feeling naughty Mr. Salvatore?" Elena pouted as she dropped her forehead to his; Damon chuckled as she parted her legs slightly to give him access.

"When am I not naughty?" he said his lips nipping at her earlobe as he peppered kiss down her neck, his teeth scraping the rapidly beating pulse in her neck. She felt ready to explode as electric currents shot down her spine. He could still leave her a puddle of heat with a simple touch.

"Oh I don't know, you've been falling asleep a lot lately," she joked and almost burst out laughing when she saw the outraged expression on his face, "Maybe it's the age…" she squeaked the last part as his fingers pinched her sensitive bud as his mouth covered her nipple, sucking, biting and teasing the hardened tip until she couldn't catch her breath or utter two coherent sentences.

"Damon!" she shrieked, hands grasping his shoulders for support.

"Want to repeat that dolcezza?" his voice was charged with lust as he watched her heaving chest. "How about now?" he rasped as his hand continued to move between her legs, his fingers curling inside her to take her repeatedly over the edge.

"Oh fuck!" Elena muttered as her head fell back, Damon leaned forward and covered the other breast with his mouth, the fabric of her dress dampening under his tongue.

"Damon…" she breathed out as he played with her again and again. The pressure was building inside her to the point of breaking, her toes curled and she felt his tongue flicking her nipples.

"Si, Elena. Si Tesoro." He groaned against her chest, Elena's hips moved frantically as he touched her, she could feel how hard he was underneath her and that only inflamed her passion even more.

"Damn it Damon!" she nearly shouted when he removed his fingers from her core and slowly sucked his fingers one by one all the while looking at her smolderingly. She tore his shirt impatiently wanting to feel his skin against her, she ran her fingers over his muscles relishing the feel of him under her fingertips. Damon groaned as he pulled her closer. Her legs went around his waist as she tipped her core forward rubbing against his hardened bulge, he groaned as he brought his hips forward. They thrust against each other, Damons mouth playing havoc with her body and hers exploring his greedily. Their movements soon got desperate until they both clenched tightly as their body shook intensely. The most overwhelming pleasure enveloped her senses and sent her over the edge and she came in his arms, her body shaking with the intensity even after it was all over.

She fell languidly in his arms with her eyes closed and heard him chuckle, "Oh you're still putty in my hands." He slapped the top of her tights and Elena could do nothing but throw her head back and laugh.

"Stronzo, as are you," she said with a grin, looking pointedly at his crotch, still too happy and satisfied to care about his bragging.

He nipped at her shoulder playfully, "You love me."

"You're lucky I do," she said with a smirk as she pushed away from him and headed into the small adjacent bathroom in his office, he followed her there and proceeded clean up while splashing water at each other, it sometimes amazed Elena the way they could still fool around each other after being married so long.

Elena opened the bathroom door and walked out, "Come on, we need to finish getting the tree ready." Damon followed her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his head in her neck while his right hand gripped her breast over her dress. "I feel like you're getting ready for round two," she said in a breathy moan while he rubbed his growing erection against her ass and moaning her name huskily.

"Am I not always read for round two?" he whispered his voice deep, before nipping her neck softly. The loud sound of someone clearing his throat made them both snap their eyes towards the open door.

Their oldest son Dean stood in the threshold, eyes wide and a grimace on his face, "Okay, I think I'll have to get my eyes scraped after this."

Damon released Elena while he laughed loudly, "Dean!" The biggest of smiles stretched across his face as he walked towards his son with his arms wide open, "Come here boy."

Dean glared at them with revulsion but with the hint of a smile on his lips, "I do not know if that's wise."

Damon chuckled, "Cheeky thing," he threw his arms around his son who returned his hug with equally fervor. Dean had gone away to college only three months ago but to Damon it already felt like forever.

"Mi manchi papa," Dean whispered against his father's ear.

Damon released him but kept his hands on his shoulders, "Mi manchi anche tu Dean!" Damon stared into blue eyes that were as blue as his own and felt his heart expanding with joy at having all his family again under the same roof.

"Now, give me some time with my boy," Elena said as she moved Damon again who could do nothing but laugh.

"Mama!" Dean said as he leaned down to press a kiss onto Elena's cheek.

Elena kept her son at arm's length as she examined him, it had been only three months but he appeared to have changed so much. Sometimes she couldn't believe how fast time went by, "How is school?" she asked.

Dean nodded, "Hard but I'm loving it."

Damon smiled proudly, "Of course you are, my little genius."

The minute Dean had received his acceptance letter from Harvard University, Damon had been over the moon, just like his father had once been proud of him for being able to torture a man without flinching, he was proud of his son for getting into one of the best schools in the country.

Dean shrugged as a small rosy tint appeared on his cheek, their oldest son might be all Damon in looks but in personality he was all Elena, "Dad I'm sure a million people have gone to Harvard before me, you went to Yale and it's equally awesome."

The condescending smirk that was so typical of Damon appeared on his lips, "Yes and I'm also a genius!"

Elena rolled her eyes, "Impossible man." She linked her arm with her husband's and pushed softly at her son "Come on, come on, let's get everything ready." The three of them walked out of the library amidst laughter and shared stories.

* * *

"More, daddy, more!" the four-year old shouted and Damon chortled with laughter as he raised him higher over his shoulders. Their Christmas tree still had some decorating left to do, so once Dean was home the whole family had launched themselves at the task, the final piece was the bright golden star his youngest son Ian was about to place.

"There?"

"Bit more, Damon," His frail looking mother told him from where she was sitting on the couch, Damon gave her a small smile and lifted his son higher.

At seventy-five Lily Salvatore held little resemblance to the woman she used to be but whenever Damon stared at her he still saw those scared and sad blue eyes that had looked at him helplessly from over his father's shoulder so many times. With the arrival of her grandchildren she had brightened up a bit but those dark memories in her mind were too strong to ever be vanquished.

Damon had resented his mother and had been angry with her for a long time for allowing his father to treat him the way he had, for focusing only on Stefan and completely forgetting him, but with time he had learned to forgive her. Lily was nothing but a fragile and weak woman and she would have never been able to save him from a man like Giuseppe, her only guilt was her weaknesses.

"Almost there, daddy!" Ian squealed and Damon's eyes twinkled in delight as he watched his son stretching his arms to place the star at the top of the tree.

"One, two three, go!"

"Yeeees!" Ian screeched and Damon pulled him down while his whole body vibrated with laughter, the kid's little arms went around his neck and Damon placed a kiss on the side of his head.

"How does it look piccolino?" he asked as they stared at the illuminated tree. The soft yellow light casting shadows on their faces as they stood in front of it, "Is it pretty?"

"Very pretty!" Ian answered with a toothless grin, then without warning he turned his little face towards his and planted a wet kiss onto Damon's cheek, "I love you daddy!"

Damon felt his throat clogging with emotion and he embraced Ian so his little head rested on his shoulders, his eyes watered and unconsciously moved towards his mother sitting on the other side of the room.

Her own blue eyes were teary and she gifted him with a smile that robbed him of his breath.

 _You're not him,_ the smile said.

So many years later and Damon still had to fight with the demons that haunted him every day; luckily for him he was stronger than both his father and his mother.

No, he could never be his father because he was sure Giuseppe Salvatore had never felt this all-consuming love for someone, this need to protect and to nourish.

His eyes moved back towards the tree before he placed another kiss on Ian's head, "I love you too little one, I love you too." His arms tightened around his neck and he breathed in his baby smell.

* * *

Elena chuckled under her breath as she cast her eyes around the filled table and saw the frowns and underlying hostility on the faces of every man sitting there, all except one of course.

"So you're an accountant?" Damon asked nonchalantly as he scooped a spoon filled with Mrs. Flower's wonderful mashed potatoes.

The young brown-haired boy at the other side of the table smiled nervously, "Yes sir!" Elena thought Austin, Maytana's boyfriend, was a sweet and nice looking boy; he had dark green eyes and dimples on both side of his cheeks which gave him a very innocent aura plus he appeared to be over the moon about her and as proof of that he was now being subjected to the interrogation held by the Salvatore men.

Stefan took a large gulp of his wine glass before he too directed his attention towards Maytana's boyfriend, "What were your grades in school?"

Austin warm green eyes moved nervously towards Maytana, a thin layer of sweat was starting to cover his forehead and Elena couldn't help but feel bad at the poor boy, "I- I don't remember…"

Damon put his spoon down and leveled the young man with a hard glare, "How can you not remember your grades in school?"

Elena snorted and placed her hand on top of her husband's arm, "Damon…"

The Salvatore patriarch was starring daggers at her boyfriend so Maytanna did the best thing that could in that moment, diverted the distraction somewhere else, "Hey Lya how is Jamie?"

Lyanna's blue eyes widened as she stared at her friend, not believing she would throw her under the bus like that, her look promised revenge as she give Maytana a dirty look. "What?"

Damon's hard glared now moved towards his older daughter, "Who is Jamie?"

Luca, Caroline and Stefan's older child also directed his eyes towards Lyanna, "Is Jamie a girl?" When the girl remained silent he chuckled, "Of course it's not a girl," he muttered.

Lyanna's cheeks tinted a soft red as she stared down at her plate, "He's just a friend."

Stefan's green eyes bored down on her from across the table, "A friend?"

Dean cleared his throat and his always soft and warm eyes now looked at her sister with suspicion, "A boyfriend?"

Lyanna rolled her eyes at all of them, it was unbelievable that at nineteen she still had to inform her family about what was happening in her love life, "Maybe!" she said defiantly, her chin sticking out in a manner that made her resemble Elena dearly.

"Lya has a boyfriend!" Adelaide screeched from across the table, "Can I have a boyfriend?"

Four pairs of male eyes went to the little girl, "NO!"

Her shoulders lowered in defeat, "Bummer," her attention went back to her plate full of food and to her little brother sitting next to her who appeared to be the only male in the room who was acting decent, besides Austin of course, who was now throwing curious glances around the room.

"What is his last name?" Damon asked.

"I- why do you want to know?"

"Lyanna!" he warned.

Caroline chuckled and sent her niece a sympathetic glance, "You better say it now baby girl they'll know it eventually."

"Hey why wasn't Aunt Bonnie able to make it?" Allegra chirped in, trying to ease her cousin from the stares and intimidating attitude of their weird family.

Elena smiled as she stared at her younger niece, "Well little Jeremy has been sick so Enzo and her decided it was best to stay."

"But I'm sure we'll be able to Skype with them later," Caroline offered.

Damon throw an amused glance in the direction of Allegra, "Nice one kid, but let's not deflect." He turned towards his daughter again, "Last name Lya"

Her shoulders slumped in defeated, "Hale!"

Across from her Luca's dark blue eyes twinkled at her before they went towards Damon, "I'm on it Uncle Damon, I will have a report by the end of the week."

Lyanna felt her cheeks heating up and she threw a nasty glance in direction of her cousin, "Stronzo," she mouthed.

He smirked and the dimple on his right cheek hollowed as he mouthed back at her, "Principessa."

"Ugh!" she crossed her arms on top her chest in anger as she tried to imagine the sandy blonde hair of the boy in front of her on fire, his laughing eyes and satisfied smile did nothing to lessen the anger inside her.

"Kids, enough!" Elena said softly but firmly, letting every single person on the table know that the stares and hostile comments were over and it was time to go back to eating.

"This family is weird!" Allegra muttered under her breath before resuming her task of devouring the Christmas sweet salad Elena had made.

"What was that about?" Austin asked Maytana in a whisper.

The young girl snorted as she shook her head, "You don't want to know."

* * *

Once everyone had retired home and their children lay sleeping on their beds, Damon finished placing the presents underneath the tree, while Elena was leaning down on the couch with a glass filled with grapa in her hands and a smile on her lips.

"It is a beautiful tree," she murmured as she watched her husband placing the last of the presents.

He sighed as he straightened up and walked towards her, "Yes, it is." He moved her so he could lay down on the couch and have her half draped on top of him, "Ian did a wonderful job with the star."

"Of course he did!" Elena said proudly as she watched the twinkling lights on the massive tree in front of them.

Damon sighed contently and placed a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead, "Thank you"

She tipped her head up and looked at him with a quizzical expression, "What for?"

He chuckled and pinched her nose playfully, "The light"

"I'm sorry?" Elena asked.

Damon sighed as his blue eyes stared deeply into her brown ones, "The light you brought into my life. I didn't realize how badly I needed it until you knocked down every wall around me. So thank you!"

There wasn't a day when Damon wasn't surprised at how much Elena had changed him and how much he had needed her before, how he had longed for someone to accept him unconditionally, someone to finally pick him above everything else.

Someone to love him.

"Oh Damon" A flicker of sadness crossed her face.

"And I love you!" his gaze was soft and loving as he looked down at her, "I know I don't say it as often as you deserve to hear it but I love you so much Elena!"

"I love you too, my love!" she answered and saw the tale tell smirk she loved so much appear on his lips, "What's so funny?"

He shook his head softly as he caressed her cheek with his hand, "It's just, I never thought I was deserving of a happy ending and then you came along…you were this young girl who was so sheltered in so many ways. There was so much innocence in you and… damn Elena you conquered the monster in me."

"I did, didn't I?" Elena said as he lowered her head to rest on his chest, loving the steady rise and fall of it as he breathed.

He placed a kiss on top of her head as he started stroking her long locks softly, "Yes, you decided that I was worth saving and brought out the light inside me and I'm so grateful with you, for everything you gave me."

Elena smiled at his words; who would have thought so many years ago when she first met him that Damon was going to end up being the love of her life. So many things had been lost since the moment she first laid eyes on him, there were so many things she regretted and a lot of pain she was never going to forget, but whilst taking things from her, life had also found a way to give her back and now she had the most wonderful family that she wouldn't trade for anything.

"It's beautiful isn't?" she whispered after they remained in silence for a few minutes.

His hand stilled on her head briefly, "What is?"

Elena breathed out as she smiled and snuggled into his chest, "Life, when you let yourself be swept by it."

"Yeah it is!" he said and she could hear the smile on his voice.

She placed a kiss on his clothed chest and felt his arms tightening around her, "I love you!" she told him.

"I love you too bella mia!" he said as he ran his hands over her body as if she were made of porcelain. He kissed her slowly, first the sensitive corners of her mouth with the tip of his tongue, and then the fullness of her lower lip with the very edge of his teeth her mouth, then down her neck sucking the flesh lightly, his lips everywhere.

His eyes almost black with passion, he sighed, "Elennnaa…" as he moved his erection against her slowly. Letting his fingers stroke the soft inner flesh of her inner thighs, his thumb circling her clit in continuous rhythm till she was near the edge of consciousness, her head thrashing on the pillows her core screaming for him to maker her one with him.

She closed her eyes and let out a husky, 'Damon…"

"I love it when you moan my name like that," he said, still stroking and sending aftershocks of pleasure throughout her whole body. "You're so lovely when you come. I could watch you all night."

He brought his finger slick with her juices close to his mouth once again and she lost it, when she saw her wetness glistening his fingers, which he bought to his mouth, licking them. "Delicious."

I need you inside me…Now…" she screamed as she rubbed her heated core against his engorged cock.

He groaned as she pulled his mouth down towards her, she arched up as he thrust inside her and at the same time his tongue probed deeper inside her mouth in perfect rhythm. And when her inner muscles gripped him, and she cried loud in ecstasy, Damon lost control and came with a shuddering breath.

"It never changes in intensity…" she stared in wonder at her husband who looked contented and happy

Damon stared in awe at the beauty of her flushed face in the aftermath of her earth shattering climax, he couldn't bring his eyes away from her glowing smile and the satisfied look on her face. For several minutes, as Elena lay panting against the fabric of the couch, and he gently kissed her all over realizing that no matter how many years passed between them he'd never get his fill of her."

The lights of the tree shone in front of them as snowflakes started falling outside their windows. The cold frosted the walls while the fire in the hearth warmed the rooms inside, all while Damon and Elena laid intertwined in the couch, thinking about all the blessings life had given them and wishing for many more years like this to come.

.

 **.**

* * *

 **So, what did you think?**

 **I want to take the time to let you know I'm working on several projects for Damon and Elena but I could really use the help of a beta, so if you're interested or know of someone please let me know.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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